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MAY   2  1918 


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THE  FOUR  GOSPELS 


IFith  a 
Practical  Critical  Commentary  i 
for  Priests  a7id  Students 


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MAY   2   1918 


^06|CALSt\'^.^ 


By 


Rev.  CHARLES  J.  CALLAN,  O.  P. 

LicTOK  OK  Sacred  Theology  and  Professor  of  Sacred  Scripture  in  the 
Catholic  Foreign  Mission  Seminary,  Ossining,  N.  Y. 


NEW  YORK 
JOSEPH  F.  WAGNER  (Inc). 

LONDON.  B.   HERDER 


NtJjil  mttai 

E.   G.   FITZGERALD,  O.  P.,  S.  T.  B. 
J.   A.   McHUGH,  u.  P.,  S.  T.  Lk. 


Smprimi  ^Sotest 

J.   R.   MEAGHER,  O.  P.,  S.  T.  Lr. 


Vm  ®fe»t«t 


ARTHUR  J.  SCANLAN,  S.  T.  D. 

Cemor  Libivrum 


Jmprttnatur 


►i.  JOHN  CARDINAL  FARLEY 

Archbighop  of  New  York 


Nkw  York,  December  10,  1917 


Copyright,   1&18,   by  Joseph  F.  Wagner  (Inc.),  New  York 


PREFACE 

THE  study  of  Holy  Scripture,  and,  in  particular,  the  study  of 
the  Gospels,  which  give  us  the  living  and  life-giving  words 
and  deeds  of  our  Blessed  Redeemer  Himself,  is  at  once  a  duty 
and  a  pleasure,  a  labor  and  a  delight,  than  which  there  can  be  none 
more  vital  and  all-important  to  the  deeper  religious  life  and  fruit- 
fulness  of  all  Christians,  and  especially  of  those  whose  high  office 
it  is  to  guide  and  instruct  others  by  holy  words,  precepts,  and  ex- 
amples to  virtuous  living  and  to  the  ultimate  perfection  and  rewards 
of  the  Christian  life.  This  is  what  St.  Paul  was  teaching  when, 
moved  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  he  penned  to  Timothy  those  inspired 
words :  "  All  Scripture,  inspired  of  God,  is  profitable  to  teach,  to 
reprove,  to  correct,  to  instruct  in  justice,  that  the  man  of  God  may 
be  perfect,  furnished  to  every  good  work."  ^ 

It  is  mainly  through  the  Scriptures  that  we  know  God,  and  that 
we  hear  His  words  and  learn  the  message  He  has  delivered  to  man- 
kind. Hence  St.  Jerome  says  that  "  to  be  ignorant  of  the  Scripture 
is  not  to  know  Christ,"  ^  while,  as  the  same  holy  doctor  elsewhere 
affirms,  "  a  man  who  is  well-grounded  in  the  testimonies  of  the 
Scripture  is  the  bulwark  of  the  Church."  '  In  the  pages  of  the  sacred 
books,  and  above  all  in  the  Gospels,  we  behold  "  the  Image  of  Christ 
standing  out  before  us,  living  and  breathing,  diffusing  everywhere 
around  consolation  in  trouble,  encouragement  to  virtue,  and  attrac- 
tion to  the  love  of  God ;  there  we  find  so  many  references  to  the  holy 
Church,  so  many  ready  and  convincing  arguments  regarding  her 
institutions,  her  nature,  her  office,  and  her  gifts ;  there  also  the  apos- 
tolic man  finds  abundant  and  excellent  assistance,  most  holy  precepts, 
gentle  and  strong  exhortation,  splendid  examples  of  every  virtue,  the 
promise  of  eternal  reward  and  the  threat  of  eternal  punishment, 
uttered  in  terms  of  solem.n  import,  in  God's  name,  and  in  God's  own 
words."  * 

The  Gospels  are  books  of  history,  the  facts  of  which  are  as  well 
authenticated  and  as  well  attested  to  as  are  the  best  established  facts 

*  2  Tim.  iii.  i6,  17.  '  Tn  Isaiam  Prol. 

'  In  Isaiam,  liv.  12.  *  Leo  XIII,  Prov.  Deus. 


vi  PREFACE 

of  any  human  history.  They  are  books  of  theology,  containing  dog- 
matic and  moral  principles,  doctrines,  laws ;  and  hence  from  them  a 
great  portion  of  our  technical  and  scientific  theology  has  been  drawn. 
Finally,  the  Gospels  are  books  of  piety  and  devotion,  for  in  them  we 
see  the  God-man  manifesting  to  us  by  word  and  example  the  life  of 
the  spirit  in  action,  wrought  to  its  highest  perfection.  These  are  the 
reasons  why  the  faithful  servants  of  Christ  and  His  Church  have 
ever  read,  studied,  and  loved  the  sacred  pages  of  the  Gospels. 

It  follows  from  what  has  been  said  that,  while  the  study  of  the 
words  of  Christ,  as  handed  down  to  us  by  the  inspired  Evangelists, 
is  both  the  duty  and  the  privilege  of  every  intelligent  Christian  who 
desires  to  know  God  more  directly  and  more  intimately,  through  His 
own  divine  words,  this  sacred  study  is  an  absolute  necessity  for  all 
those  who  profess  to  follow  more  strictly  in  the  footsteps  of  the 
Saviour  as  His  ministers  and  vicars  in  caring  for  souls,  or  who  are 
aspiring  to  and  preparing  for  that  great  calling.  This  deduction  is 
obvious.  How  can  he  be  a  faithful  disciple  who  has  little  or  no  ac- 
quaintance with  the  words  and  wishes  of  his  Master?  How  can  he 
be  a  genuine  theologian  who  is  ignorant  of  the  principal  source  of 
the  revelations  from  which  theology  is  built?  How  can  he  be  an 
effective  and  fruit-bearing  preacher  who  knows  not  the  word  of  God 
which  he  is  supposed  to  preach,  who  is  unfamiliar  with  the  message 
which  it  is  his  duty  to  deliver?  Rightly,  indeed,  did  Pope  Leo  XHI 
say :  "  Those  preachers  are  foolish  and  improvident  who,  in  speaking 
of  religion  and  proclaiming  the  things  of  God,  use  no  other  words 
but  those  of  human  science  and  human  prudence,  trusting  to  their 
own  reasonings  rather  than  to  those  of  God.  Their  discourses  may 
be  brilliant  and  fine,  but  they  must  be  feeble  and  they  must  be  cold, 
for  they  are  without  the  fire  of  the  utterance  of  God,  and  they  must 
fall  far  short  of  that  mighty  power  which  the  speech  of  God  pos- 
sesses." "  But  those,  on  the  contrary,  who  are  permeated  with  the 
words  and  thoughts  of  the  sacred  pages,  "who  infuse  into  their 
efforts  the  spirit  and  strength  of  the  word  of  God,  *  speak  not  in 
word  only,  but  in  power  also,  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  in  much 
fulness.'  "  « 

All  this  is  evident  from  the  very  nature  of  things,  but  it  is  also 
confirmed  by  the  life  and  experience  of  all  the  great  theologians  and 
preachers  of  every  age.  St.  Augustine,  St,  Jerome,  St.  Chrysostom, 
St.  Thomas  Aquinas,  Suarez,  Bossuet,  Fenelon,  Lacordaire,  Mon- 
sabre,  and  the  like,  could  never  have  been  what  they  were  as  theo- 
"  Prov.  Deus.  "  Leo  XITT,  Prov.  Dcus. 


PREFACE  vii 

logians  and  sacred  orators  had  it  not  been  for  their  assiduous  reading 
of  the  Scripture  and  devout  meditation  on  its  pages.  It  was  this 
realization  of  the  importance  of  the  matter  that  moved  St.  Jerome 
to  write  to  Nepotian :  "  Often  read  the  divine  Scriptures ;  yea,  let 
holy  reading  be  always  in  thy  hand ;  study  that  which  thou  thyself 
must  preach.  .  .  .  Let  the  speech  of  the  priest  be  ever  seasoned  with 
Scriptural  reading."  ^  And  this  again  was  what  St.  Paul  had  in 
mind  when  to  Timothy,  and  through  him,  to  the  clergy  as  a  whole, 
he  addressed  those  imperative  words :  "  Take  heed  to  thyself  and  to 
doctrine :  be  earnest  in  them.  For  in  doing  this  thou  shalt  both  save 
thyself  and  them  that  hear  thee."  ^ 

But  the  student  of  any  considerable  part  of  Holy  Scripture  must 
not  and  cannot  entirely  rely  on  himself  for  a  correct  understanding 
of  many  things  that  are  found  therein.  By  its  nature  the  word  of 
God  is  not  easy  to  comprehend.  Aside  from  the  fact  that  it  has  been 
dictated  by  the  Holy  Ghost ;  aside  from  the  supernatural  revelation 
—  the  deep  mysteries  of  faith  of  which  it  is  the  embodiment,  and 
which  unaided  human  reason  is  impotent  to  grasp  and  fathom ;  aside 
also  from  the  different  senses,  literal  and  mystical,  with  which  it  has 
been  enriched  by  God  its  author,  there  are  many  other  difficulties 
which  stand  in  the  way  of  a  ready  and  accurate  comprehension  of  the 
meaning  of  the  inspired  Scriptures  on  the  part  of  an  ordinary  reader 
or  student.  There  is  the  language  in  which  they  were  first  set  down  ; 
there  are  the  human  customs  and  manners  to  which  they  so  often 
refer ;  there  are  the  peculiar  ways  of  thinking  and  speaking  of  their 
original  human  agents ;  there  are  the  peoples,  times,  and  circum- 
stances amid  which  they  were  dictated  and  composed,  —  all  of  which 
are  decidedly  unfamiliar  and  foreign  to  the  great  majority  of  us  in 
the  western  world,  and  in  particular  to  students  who  are  b'^ginning 
their  studies. 

As  a  result  of  these  difficulties,  inherent  to  the  nature,  origin,  and 
dress  of  all  parts  of  the  sacred  writings,  it  is  clear  that  the  Scriptural 
student  must  have  a  guide,  must  have  direction  and  help,  if  he  is 
going  to  understand  aright  what  he  reads  and  studies.-  If,  as  St. 
Jerome  tells  us,  "  the  office  of  a  commentator  is  to  set  forth,  not 
what  he  himself  would  prefer,  but  what  his  author  says,"  '  it  at  once 
becomes  doubly  evident  that  all  others  need  special  assistance  and 
guidance,  and  this  is  what  a  commentary  is  supposed  to  provide. 

Years  of  experience  in  the  class  room  have  convinced  the  present 
writer  —  as  indeed  even  a  little  experience  must  convince  anyone  — 

'  Dc  Vita  cleric,  ad  Nepot.  *  i  Tim.  iv.  i6.  *  Ad  Pammachium. 


viii  PREFACE 

that  the  mere  taking  of  notes  during  the  Scripture  classes,  or  the 
mere  listening  to  a  professor,  is  a  failure  for  the  vast  majority 
of  students.  The  lecture  may  be  ever  so  entertaining  and  instruc- 
tive, it  may  develop  and  expose  the  subject  ever  so  thoroughly, 
it  may  be  ever  so  lucid  and  practical,  but  if  the  ordinary  student 
is  left  to  his  memory  day  after  day,  or  to  a  few  hurried  and  dis- 
connected notes  which  he  may  be  able  to  get  down  during  the 
class  hour,  his  Scriptural  equipment,  at  the  end  of  his  course,  must 
of  necessity  be  very  meagre  and  far  short  of  what  it  ought  to  be. 
A  text  book  in  exegesis,  something  around  which  the  pupil  can 
group  what  he  hears,  something  which,  when  he  retires  to  his  study, 
will  recall  to  his  mind  in  an  orderly  and  connected  manner  what  he 
may  have  learned  in  the  class  room,  is  just  as  essential  for  profit 
and  progress  in  Scripture  as  it  is  in  theology,  or  philosophy,  or  any 
other  branch  of  ecclesiastical  study.  Moreover,  if,  in  after  years,  the 
priest  is  to  be  able  to  understand  and  make  use  of  the  Scriptures  as 
he  ought,  he  should  have  some  book  which  he  used  during  his  course 
in  the  Seminary,  with  which,  consequently,  he  is  familiar,  and  to 
which  he  can  readily  have  recourse  at  any  time. 

But  a  suitable  commentary  on  the  Gospels,  or  on  any  part  of  the 
New  Testament,  must  provide  many  things.  It  must  not  only  ex- 
plain and  interpret  the  sacred  text  in  conformity  with  the  teachings 
of  the  Church  and  the  doctrines  of  the  Fathers  and  theologians,  but 
it  must  also,  to  be  profitable,  take  into  account  the  conditions  and 
needs  of  the  times  and  of  those  who  are  to  study  and  use  it.  Hence 
it  must  avoid  excess  in  length  and  excess  in  brevity.  It  must  take 
care  to  treat  everything  essential,  and  in  a  manner  suited  to  its  end 
and  purpose;  but  it  must  at  the  same  time  strive  to  avoid  things 
useless  and  irrelevant.  Much  precious  time  to  no  profit  can  easily 
be  squandered  by  dwelling  too  long  on  disputed  questions,  and  by 
vain  and  prolonged  attempts  to  reconcile  the  various  opinions  and 
sometimes  curious  speculations  of  doctors  and  commentators. 
Against  all  these  tendencies  the  practical  commentary  must  be  at 
pains  to  guard.  Our  burdened  students  and  busy  priests  need  what 
is  useful  and  practical;  they  have  no  time  for  the  curious,  unless 
things  essential  are  to  be  sacrificed.  All  that  is  necessary  they  want. 
They  want,  in  the  first  place,  a  clear  explanation  of  the  meaning  of 
the  sacred  text ;  they  want  explained  chronological  and  topographical 
difficulties  of  moment;  they  want  reconciled  historical  and  other 
apparent  discrepancies ;  they  want  treated,  or  at  least  indicated,  those 
dogmatic  and  moral  passages  on  which  much  of  our  theology  de- 


PREFACE  ix 

pends ;  but  all  this  our  busy  priests  and  students  require  to  be  done 
in  the  briefest  and  simplest  manner  that  is  adequate  to  the  necessi- 
ties of  the  case. 

Such  a  commentary  on  the  Gospels  the  author  of  the  present  work 
has  endeavored  to  provide  for  the  Catholic  clergy,  and  for  all  intel- 
ligent readers  and  students  of  the  records  of  the  words  and  deeds 
of  Christ.  The  author  is  well  aware  of  the  excellent  qualities  of 
Dr.  MacEvilly's  work  in  English,  and  of  other  English  works  on 
single  Gospels.  He  is  also  well  aware  of  the  enduring  merits  of  those 
many  other  splendid  commentaries  on  the  four  Gospels  in  Latin, 
French,  German,  and  Italian.  But  Dr.  MacEvilly's  work,  as  well 
as  those  other  commentaries,  for  the  most  part,  is  altogether  too  long 
for  a  text  book  and  for  convenient  use  in  the  class  room,  particularly 
when  there  is  question  of  a  correlated  study  of  all  the  Gospels.  As 
reference  books  those  lengthy  commentaries  are  invaluable,  and  in 
this  respect  they  can  never  be  entirely  supplanted  by  briefer  works. 
They  are  especially  useful  for  the  professor  and  for  the  advanced 
student  who  may  desire  on  a  particular  question  a  more  exhaustive 
treatise  than  is  furnished  by  the  present  work.  But  there  has  long 
been  need  of  a  briefer  and  more  practical  work  on  the  Gospels  in 
English  —  and  this  in  a  single  volume  of  convenient  size.  The  author, 
therefore,  humbly  submits  this  new  commentary  to  its  readers  hoping 
that  it  will,  at  least  to  some  extent,  supply  this  need,  and  thereby 
serve  the  end  and  purpose  for  which  it  has  been  written. 

Doubtless  there  will  be  some  diversity  of  opinion  as  to  what  such 
a  work  should  embrace,  as  to  the  manner  in  which  certain  questions 
should  be  treated,  and  the  like ;  but  in  all  these  matters,  and  as  re- 
gards any  defects  that  may  be  discovered  in  this  work,  the  author 
is  trusting  to  the  kind  and  indulgent  consideration  of  his  readers. 
He  has  been  constantly  aware,  during  the  years  of  labor  spent  in  the 
preparation  of  this  volume,  of  the  vast  importance  of  the  whole 
matter,  and  of  the  weight  of  the  task  in  hand.  He  lays  no  claims  to 
inerrancy,  but  he  feels  he  can  say  with  all  assurance  that  there  is 
nothing  in  the  present  work  which  is  not  based  on  the  best  Catholic 
authorities,  a  list  of  whom  will  be  found  at  the  end  of  the  volume. 
If  perchance  anything  has  crept  into  this  work  which  is  not  in 
harmony  with  these  standard  Catholic  authorities,  it  is  assuredly 
unknown  to  the  author  and  has  been  entirely  beside  his  inten- 
tion. Where  opinions  on  disputed  passages  have  been  so  many 
as  to  be  tedious  or  confusing,  only  those  have  been  chosen  which 
seemed  most  probable  and  convincing.     If  Protestant  authors  have 


X  PREFACE 

been  consulted  and  quoted  at  times,  this  has  been  in  matters,  either 
where  there  was  no  question  of  doctrine,  or  where  their  opinions 
were  in  perfect  conformity  with  CathoHc  teaching  and  principles. 

The  English  text  of  the  Gospels  used  in  this  volume  is  that  pub- 
lished by  John  Murphy  Company  with  the  approbation  of  Cardinal 
Gibbons.  The  text  of  the  Vulgate  has  not  been  included  in  order 
not  to  have  the  book  too  bulky  and  cumbersome. 

Charles  J.  Calxan,  O.P. 


CONTENTS 

Page 

PREFACE   V 

The  Gospel  According  to  St.  Matthew 

Introduction j 

The  Hidden  Life  of  Jesus  (I-II) 5 

The  PubUc  Life  of  Jesus  (III-XXV) 17 

The  Sorrowful  Life  of  Jesus  (XXVI-XXVII) 165 

The  Glorious  Life  of  Jesus  (XXVIII) i88 

The  Gospel  According  to  St.  Mark 

Introduction iq4 

The  Preparation  (I.  1-20) 198 

The  Public  Ministry  in  Galilee  (I.  21-IX) 200 

The  Public  Ministry  in  Judea  (X-XIII) 235 

The  Passion  and  Death  of  Jesus  (XIV-XV) 249 

The  Glory  of  Jesus  (XVI) 256 

The  Gospel  According  to  St.  Luke 

Introduction 261 

Prologue  (I.  1-4) 265 

Preparation  for  the  Public  Life  (I.  5-IV.  13) 266 

The  Ministry  in  Galilee  (IV.  14-IX.  50) 294 

The  Last  Months  of  the  Public  Life  (IX.  51-XIX.  27)     ...  319 

Holy  Week  (XtX.  28-XXIII.  56) 372 

Resurrection,  Manifestations,  and  Ascension  (XXIV)  ....  392 

The  Gospel  According  to  St.  John 

Introduction 400 

Prologue  (I.  1-18) 406 

The  Manifestation  of  the  Divinity  of  Jesus  During  the  Public 

Life  (I.  19-XII.  50) 412 

The  Passion  of  Jesus  (XIII-XIX) 492 

The  Resurrection  and  Apparitions  of  Jesus  (XX.  i-XXI.  23)  .  526 

Epilogue  (XXI.  24,  25) 534 


xii  CONTENTS 

Harmony  of  the  Four  Gospels 536 

Genealogy  of  the  Herods 545 

Bibliography 546 

Index  of  Subjects 551 

MAPS 

Map  of  Palestine Frontispiece 

Plan  of  the  Temple  of  Jerusalem 0pp.  134 


THE  FOUR  GOSPELS 

WITH  A 
PRACTICAL  CRITICAL  COiMMENTARY 


4  INTRODUCTION  TO  ST.   MATTHEW 

Gospel  in  his  own  tongue,  leaving  it  to  those  from  whom  he  was 
about  to  depart  to  supply  the  loss  of  his  own  presence." 

The  early  heretics,  such  as  the  Gnostics  Basilides  and  Valentine 
and  the  pagan  Celsus,  quote  passages  of  the  First  Gospel.  The  at- 
tacks of  the  heretics  show  that  the  Gospel  was  considered  canonical 
by  the  early  Christians. 

VII.  Division  of  the  Gospel.  The  First  Gospel  may  be  divided 
into  four  general  parts,  the  first  of  which  (i-ii)  treats  of  the  gene- 
alogy of  Jesus,  His  virgin  birth,  the  adoration  of  the  Magi,  the 
flight  into  Egypt,  and  the  return  to  Nazareth. 

The  second  part  (iii-xxv),  which  treats  of  the  public  life  of  the 
Saviour,  has  three  sections:  (a)  the  preparation  for  the  public  life 
(iii-iv.  II ),  which  records  the  preaching  of  John  the  Baptist,  the 
baptism  of  our  Lord,  and  His  fast  and  temptation  in  the  desert;  (b) 
the  ministry  in  Galilee  (iv.  12-xviii.  35),  during  which  the  Saviour 
appears  as  teacher  and  legislator,  as  wonder-worker,  as  the  founder 
of  a  new  kingdom,  and  as  the  instructor  of  the  Apostles;  (c)  the 
ministry  in  Judea  (xix-xxv),  where  we  find  the  journey  of  our 
Lx)rd  to  Jerusalem,  the  last  features  of  His  activities  in  the  Holy 
City,  the  maledictions  pronounced  against  the  faithless  city,  and  the 
announcement  of  the  end  of  the  world. 

The  third  part  (xxvi-xxvii)  contains  the  history  of  our  Lord's 
Passion  and  death. 

The  fourth  part  (xxviii)  narrates  the  Saviour's  Resurrection  and 
some  of  His  appearances  to  the  disciples. 


The  Gospel  according  to  St.  Matthew 
CHAPTER   I 

The  Genealogy  of  Jesus,  1-17. 
The  Birth  of  Jesus,  18-25. 

1.  The  book  of  the  generation  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  son  of  David,  the  son  of 
Abraham : 

2.  Abraham  begot  Isaac.  And  Isaac  begot  Jacob.  And  Jacob  begot  Judas 
and  his  brethren. 

1.  The  first  line  of  this  chapter  may  be  considered  as  a  title,  or 
short  preface  to  the  chapter. 

The  book ;  i.e.,  the  narrative,  or  record,  or  catalogue  "  of  the 
generation,"  i.  e.,  of  the  ancestors  of  Christ.  The  Jews  attached 
great  importance  to  their  genealogies,  and  in  particular  to  that  of 
David,  from  whose  seed  the  Messiah  and  Saviour  was  to  spring. 

The  son;  i.  e.,  the  descendant.  The  Hebrews  used  the  word  son 
to  designate  every  one  descended  from  another  in  a  direct  line, 
however  remotely.  Our  Lord  was  commonly  called  the  "  son  of 
David  "  by  the  prophets,  and  Abraham  is  here  mentioned,  because 
it  was  to  these  two  that  a  promise  had  been  especially  made  that  the 
Christ  should  be  born  of  them,  —  of  Abraham  as  head  of  the  race, 
of  David  as  head  of  the  family.    Cf.  Luke  iii.  31. 

From  the  birth  of  Abraham  to  that  of  Christ  there  intervened  a 
period  of  about  2000  years ;  from  the  death  of  David  to  the  birth 
of  Christ  about  1013  years.  St.  Matthew  traces  the  ancestors  of 
Christ  to  Abraham  through  a  succession  of  forty-two  generations, 
in  order  to  prove  to  the  Jews  that  He  was  the  true  Messiah. 
St.  Luke,  writing  for  the  Gentiles,  traces  our  Lord's  pedigree  back 
to  Adam,  the  father  of  the  human  race. 

2.  Abraham  begot  Isaac,  Isaac  alone,  of  all  the  sons  of  Abra- 
ham, is  mentioned  because  it  was  of  his  seed  that  Christ  was  to  be 
born:  "But  in  Isaac  shall  thy  seed  be  called"  (Genesis  xxi.  12; 
Romans  ix.  7). 


6  ST.  MATTHEW  I,  3-10 

3.  And  Judas  begot  Phares  and  Zara  of  Thamar.  And  Phares  begot 
Esron,    And  Esron  begot  Aram. 

4.  And  Aram  begot  Aminadab.  And  Aminadab  begot  Naasson.  And 
Naasson  begot  Salmon. 

5.  And  Salmon  begot  Booz  of  Rahab.  And  Booz  begot  Obed  of  Ruth. 
And  Obed  begot  Jesse. 

6.  And  Jesse  begot  David  the  king.  And  David  the  king  begot  Solomon,  of 
her  that  had  been  the  wife  of  Urias. 

7.  And  Solomon  begot  Roboam.  And  Roboam  begot  Abia.  And  Abia 
begot  Asa. 

8.  And  Asa  begot  Josaphat.  And  Josaphat  begot  Joram.  And  Joram  begot 
Ozias. 

9.  And  Ozias  begot  Joatham.  And  Joatham  begot  Achaz.  And  Achaz  be- 
got Ezechias. 

10.  And  Ezechias  begot  Manasses.  And  Manasses  begot  Amon.  And 
Amon  begot  Josias. 

3.  Of  Thamar.  Phares  and  Zara  were  twin  sons  of  Thamar.  It 
is  remarkable  that  all  the  women  mentioned  in  the  genealogy  of  our 
Lord,  with  the  exception  of  His  Blessed  Mother,  were  publicly  sub- 
ject to  reproach  as  sinners  or  Gentiles.  The  most  probable  reason 
for  this  is  that  our  Lord,  who  came  to  save  sinners.  Gentiles  as  well 
as  Jews,  wished  to  enumerate  among  His  ancestors  those  who  would 
be  expressive  types  of  sinners  and  Gentiles,  who,  nevertheless,  were 
to  be  aggregated  to  His  Church. 

4.  Aminadab  and  Naasson  are  mentioned,  because,  according 
to  Num.  i.  7,  the  latter  was  the  leader  of  the  tribe  of  Juda  on  the 
egress  of  the  Hebrews  from  Egypt. 

5.  Ruth,  a  native  of  Moab,  —  another  instance  showing  that  our 
Lord  wished  to  have  among  His  ancestors  Gentiles  as  well  as  Jews, 
so  that  all,  Jews  and  Gentiles,  might  have  hope  in  His  mercy. 

Jesse.  Reference  is  here  made  to  the  prophecy  of  Lsaias  con- 
cerning our  Redeemer,  "  Egredietur  virga  de  radice  Jesse"  (lsaias 
xi.  I). 

6.  David  the  king,  the  first  king  among  the  ancestors  of  Christ. 
To  him  was  made  the  promise  of  a  perpetual  kingdom. 

8.  And  Joram  begot  Ozias.  Between  Joram  and  Ozias  three 
kings,  who  reigned  in  immediate  succession,  are  here  passed  over, 
Ochozias,  Joas,  and  Amasias  (4  Kings  xi-xiv).  The  reason  for 
this  omission  is  variously  explained,  but  it  does  not  much  afifect  the 
design  of  the  Evangelist,  which  was  to  show  that  Christ  was  a 
descendant  of  David. 


ST.  MATTHEV\'  1,  11-17  7 

u.  And  Josias  begot  Jechonias  and  his  brethren  in  the  transmigration  of 
Babylon. 

12.  And  after  the  transmigration  of  Babylon,  Jechonias  begot  Salathiel. 
And  Salathiel  begot  Zorobabel. 

13.  And  Zorobabel  begot  Abiud.  And  Abiud  begot  Eliacim.  And  Eliacim 
begot  Azor. 

14.  And  Azor  begot  Sadoc.    And  Sadoc  begot  Achim.    And  Achim  begot  Eliud. 

15.  And  Eliud  begot  Eleazar.  And  Eleazar  begot  Mathan.  And  Mathan 
begot  Jacob. 

16.  And  Jacob  begot  Joseph  the  husband  of  Mary,  of  whom  was  born 
Jesus,  who  is  called  Christ. 

17.  So  all  the  generations,  from  Abraham  to  David,  are  fourteen  genera- 
tions. And  from  David  to  the  transmigration  of  Babylon,  are  fourteen  gen- 
erations; and  from  the  transmigration  of  Babylon  to  Christ  are  fourteen 
generations. 

11.  Josias  begot  Jechonias.  Josias  was  the  ^grandfather  of 
Jechonias  (4  Kings  xxiii.  34;  xxiv.  6). 

And  his  brethren;  i.e.,  the  uncles  of  Jechonias,  Joakim,  his 
predecessor,  and  Sedecias,  his  successor. 

In  the  transmigration  of  Babylon;  i.e.,  shortly  before  they 
were  taken  captive  to  Babylon. 

12.  After  the  transmigration  of  Babylon;  i.e..  during  the  sev- 
enty years'  captivity  at  Babylon. 

Jechonias  begot  Salathiel.  St.  Luke  (iii.  27)  says,  "Salathiel. 
who  was  of  Neri."  Answer:  Salathiel  was  the  natural  son  of  Neri, 
and  the  adopted  son  of  Jechonias.  Salathiel  was  of  the  royal  line 
of  David,  through  Nathan  (Luke  iii.  31).  and  Jechonias.  who  was 
to  die  childless  (Jer.  xxii.  30),  adopted  him  so  as  to  perpetuate 
his  royal  line. 

Salathiel  begot  Zorobabel.  .According  to  i  Paralipomenon  iii. 
19,  Zorobabel  was  of  Phadaia.  Anszver:  This  divergence  is  due 
either  to  an  error  of  a  copyist  of  Paralipomenon,  or  it  is  to  be  ex- 
plained by  the  Levirate  law,  according  to  which  a  man  should 
marry  his  brother's  widow  and  raise  up  children  to  his  brother. 
See  below,  verse  17. 

13.  Zorobabel  begot  Abiud.  St.  Luke  (iii.  zy )  says,  "  Reza, 
who  was  of  Zorobabel."  Ansiver:  Most  likely  .Abiud  was  the 
brother  of  Reza. 

16.  Who  is  called  Christ ;  i.  e.,  according  to  the  Hebrew  idiom, 
who  is  in  reality  Christ,  the  Anointed,  the  Messiah. 

17.  Fourteen  generations.    Only  fourteen  are  given  in  each  of 


8  ST.  MATTHEW  I,  17 

the  three  epochs ;  several  others  are  omitted.  The  third  series  has 
only  thirteen,  but  the  name  which  we  do  not  count  is  probably 
Mary,  which  the  Evangelist  did  count,  since  the  royal  descent 
passes  from  Joseph  to  Jesus  through  Mary. 

Here  it  is  important  to  note  that  there  is  a  great  discrepancy 
between  the  genealogies  given  by  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Luke ;  they 
assign  almost  entirely  different  persons  as  the  ancestors  of  our 
Lord.  To  explain  this  difficulty  it  may  be  observed,  in  a  general 
way,  that  a  strong  extrinsic  argument  for  the  genuineness  of  both 
genealogies  is  found  in  the  fact  that  neither  of  these  was  objected 
to  by  the  Jews  of  their  day,  whether  believers  or  unbelievers,  who 
had  every  opportunity  of  knowing  the  state  of  the  case,  and  many 
of  whom  would  have  gladly  charged  the  Evangelists  with  mis- 
takes, if  such  had  really  been  the  case.  This  argument  is  the  more 
convincing  since  the  Jews  were  always  remarkable  for  paying  the 
greatest  attention  to  genealogies,  especially  where  there  was  ques- 
tion of  direct  descent  of  illustrious  persons. 

In  particular,  two  quite  satisfactory  explanations  are  given  of 
the  discrepancy  between  the  two  Evangelists.  According  to  the 
more  modern  theory,  St.  Matthew  gives  the  natural  genealogy  of 
St.  Joseph,  St.  Luke  that  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  Thus,  in  this 
interpretation,  when  St.  Luke  speaks  of  Joseph  as  the  son  of  Heli, 
he  means  the  son-in-law,  married  to  the  Blessed  Virgin ;  and  hence 
Heli  must  be  identified  with  Joachirn,  whom  tradition  represents 
as  the  father  of  the  Blessed  Virgin.  It  is  really  possible  that  Heli 
is  only  an  abbreviation  of  Eliachim,  and  that  Eliachim  is  a  synonym 
for  Joachim.  This  theory  was  unknown  before  the  fifteenth  cen- 
tury, but  it  has  the  advantage  of  establishing  between  Jesus  and 
the  royal  line  of  David  a  real,  natural,  and  not  merely  a  legal, 
relation. 

According  to  the  most  ancient  theory,  both  Matthew  and  Luke 
give  us  the  genealogy  of  St.  Joseph ;  the  former,  his  legal,  the  latter 
his  natural  genealogy.  This  legal  relationship  was  the  result  of  a 
peculiar  enactment  of  the  Law  of  Moses  (Deut.  xxv.  5):  "When 
brethren  dwell  together,  and  one  of  them  dieth  without  children, 
...  his  brother  shall  take  her,  and  raise  up  seed  for  his  brother ; 
and  the  first  son  he  shall  have  of  her,  he  shall  call  by  his  name." 
etc.      In   the   third   century   Julius   Africanus   applied   this    law    to 


ST.  MATTHEW  I,  18  9 

18.  Now  the  generation  of  Christ  was  in  this  wise.  When  as  his  mother 
Mary  was  espoused  to  Joseph,  before  they  came  together,  she  was  found  with 
child,  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Joseph,  and  said  that  he  had  the  reason  for  so  doing  from  the 
relations  of  our  Lord  Himself.  His  statement  is  this :  Estha,  the 
mother  of  Heli  and  Jacob,  was  married  successively  to  Mathan 
and  Melchi ;  of  the  former  she  begot  Jacob,  of  the  latter  Heli. 
Jacob  and  Heli  were  therefore  uterine  brothers,  of  the  same 
mother,  but  of  different  fathers.  Now  Jacob  having  died  childless, 
Heli  married  his  widow  and  had  for  issue,  Joseph,  who  was  the 
natural  son  of  Heli  and  the  legal  son  of  Jacob.  As  Mathan  and 
Melchi,  to  whom  Estha  was  successively  married,  need  not  have 
been  at  all  related,  it  is  not  wonderful  that  the  two  genealogies 
branch  off  very  divergently  without  meeting  again,  save  in  Zoro- 
babel  and  Salathiel.  till  they  reach  David,  through  Solomon,  on 
the  one  side,  and  Nathan  on  the  other.  This  interpretation  is 
commonly  adopted  by  the  Fathers.  As  both  genealogies,  the 
natural  and  the  legal,  were  regarded  as  of  the  greatest  importance 
among  the  Jews,  it  is  not  strange  that  the  Evangelists  give  both. 

18.  The  generation;  i.e.,  the  birth,  was  in  this  new  manner. 

Was  espoused;  i.e.,  according  to  the  Fathers  commonly,  was 
really  married ;  but,  according  to  Sts.  Jerome,  Chrysostom,  and 
others,  was  only  promised  in  marriage.  During  the  time  of  es- 
pousals the  future  man  and  wife  among  the  Jews  did  not  live 
together,  and  saw  each  other  but  rarely ;  they  could,  however,  have 
intercourse,  and  a  child  conceived  during  this  period  was  not 
illegitimate,  either  in  public  opinion  or  before  the  Law.  If  any  one 
violated  another's  spouse  he  was  regarded  as  an  adulterer. 

Although  Christian  art  has  pictured  St.  Joseph  as  an  old  man, 
there  is  no  good  proof  that  he  was  not  young  when  espoused  to 
Mary.  Joseph  had  been  chosen  by  divine  Providence  to  be  the 
chaste  support  and  protector  of  the  Holy  Family,  and  there  is  no 
reason  to  suppose  that  he  was  other  than  a  young  man  when  Mary, 
by  her  parents,  was  promised  to  him  in  marriage  (Le  Camus). 

18  and  25.  Before,  as  in  the  phrase,  "before  they  came  to- 
gether" (verse  18)  ;  and  till  or  until  (verse  25)  refer,  according  to 
the  Hebrew  idiom,  to  that  which  precedes  the  event  spoken  of,  and 
in   no  wise   relate  to  what  mav   follow  ;  that  is,  these  expressions 


10  ST.  MATTHEW  I,  19-25 

19.  Whereupon  Joseph  her  husband,  being  a  just  man,  and  not  willing  pub- 
licly to  expose  her,  was  minded  to  put  her  away  privately. 

20.  But  while  he  thought  on  these  things,  behold  the  angel  of  the  Lord  ap- 
peared to  him  in  his  sleep,  saying :  Joseph,  son  of  David,  fear  not  to  take  unto 
thee  Mary  thy  wife,  for  that  which  is  conceived  in  her,  is  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

21.  And  she  shall  bring  forth  a  son :  and  thou  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus. 
For  he  shall  save  his  people  from  their  sins. 

22.  Now  all  this  was  done  that  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  the  Lord  spoke 
by  the  prophet,  saying  : 

23.  Behold  a  virgin  shall  be  with  child,  and  bring  forth  a  son,  and  they 
shall  call  his  name  Emmanuel,  which  being  interpreted  is,  God  with  us. 

24.  And  Joseph  rising  up  from  sleep,  did  as  the  angel  of  the  Lord  had 
commanded  him,  and  took  unto  him  his  wife. 

25.  And  he  knew  her  not  till  she  brought  forth  her  firstborn  son :  and  he 
called  his  name  Jesus. 

simply  mean  that  the  Blessed  Mother  was  a  virgin  in  conceiving 
her  divine  Son,  and  that  she  was  a  virgin  when  she  gave  Him 
birth;  they  do  not  at  all  imply  that  she  ceased  to  be  a  virgin  after 
the  birth  of  our  Lord.  St.  Matthew  is  telling  us  what  the  Blessed 
Virgin  was  up  to  the  birth  of  Christ ;  about  what  took  place  after- 
wards he  says  nothing. 

Together,  therefore,  does  not  mean  conjugal  relation,  but  only 
dwelling  together  in  the  same  house.  The  belief  that  Mary  always 
lived  with  Joseph,  as  with  a  brother,  is  based  on  the  most  ancient 
and  most  unanimous  Catholic  tradition. 

18.  Of  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  conception  of  Jesus  in  the  womb 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin  is  attributed  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  because  it 
was  a  work  of  love.  All  works  external  to  the  Holy  Trinity  are 
common  to  all  three  Persons,  but  certain  works  are  attributed  to 
one  Person  when  these  words  have  a  peculiar  fitness  with  the 
relation  which  that  Person  bears  to  the  other  two.  The  Holy 
Ghost  is  the  love  of  the  Father  and  the  Son,  and  hence  works  of 
love  are  attributed  to  Him.  The  doctrine  of  the  Virgin  Birth  is 
evident  from  verses  18,  20,  23,  and  25  of  this  chapter. 

20.  Fear  not  to  take  unto  thee  Mary  thy  wife;  i.  e.,  to  be  thy 
wife  in  reality,  and  no  longer  merely  thy  betrothed. 

21.  Jesus  means  "Salvation  of  God";  it  is  the  same  name  as 
Josue  or  Josuah. 

23.  This  verse  is  taken  from  Isaias  vii.  14. 


ST.  MATTHEW  II,  1  n 


CHAPTER  II 

The  Visit  of  the  Magi,  1-12. 

The  Flight  into  Egypt,  13-15. 

The  Slaughter  of  the  Holy  Innocents,  16-19. 

The  Return  from  Egypt,  20-23. 

I.  When  Jesus  therefore  was  born  in  Bethlehem  of  Juda,  in  the  days  of 
king  Herod,  behold,  there  came  wise  men  from  the  east  to  Jerusalem, 

1.  In  the  days  of  king  Herod.  It  is  difficult  to  determine  just 
when  this  was,  but  it  was  probably  about  6  or  4  b.c.  This  we  con- 
jecture from  the  death  of  Herod,  which  was  around  4  or  2  b.c. 
Josephus  (Antiq.  xvii.  6)  tells  us  that  Herod  the  Great  died  shortly 
before  the  Passover,  just  after  an  eclipse  of  the  moon,  which 
eclipse  seems  to  have  been  the  one  we  know  of  on  March  12-13, 
4  B.C.  Hence  it  is  evident  that  our  Lord  must  have  been  born  at  the 
latest  in  5  B.C.  (749  a.u.c).  Dionysius  Exiguus  erred,  therefore, 
when  he  dated  the  Christian  era  from  754  a.u.c.  It  is  generally 
admitted,  likewise,  that  the  Nativity  cannot  be  placed  earlier  than 
746,  the  date  of  the  universal  pacification  of  the  world  under 
Augustus. 

There  are  four  Herods  mentioned  in  the  New  Testament:  (a) 
Herod  the  Great,  spoken  of  here,  who  was  king  of  Judea,  Samaria, 
Galilee,  and  part  of  Peraea,  and  who  died  around  4  or  2  b.c.  after 
a  reign  of  37  years;  (b)  Herod  Antipas,  son  of  Herod  the  Great, 
who,  when  his  father's  kingdom  was  divided  into  the  four  prov- 
inces of  Judea,  Galilee,  Trachonitis,  and  Abilene,  became  tetrarch  of 
Galilee ;  (c)  Herod  Agrippa  (the  elder) ,  grandson  of  Herod  the  Great, 
and  nephew  of  Herod  Antipas;  (d)  Herod  Agrippa  (the  younger). 

Wise  men  from  the  east.  These  wise  men,  or  Magi,  were  most 
probably  from  Persia  or  Chaldea.  They  were  men  of  learning, 
devoted  to  the  study  of  astrology  and  to  the  investigation  of  the 
truths  of  natural  philosophy.  It  is  probable  also  that  they  belonged 
to  the  sacerdotal  class,  as  would  appear  from  their  devout  senti- 
ments. St.  Augustine  and  St.  Chrysostom,  following  the  Syrian 
tradition,  thought   the   Magi   were  twelve   in   number.     The  most 


12  ST.  MATTHEW  II,  1 

probable  opinion  is  that  of  Origen  (in  Gen.  Horn.  xiv.  3)  and 
St.  Leo  the  Great  (Serm.  xxxi),  who  say  they  were  only  three. 
That  they  were  kings  was  not  believed  before  the  sixth  century. 

There  is  a  great  dispute  regarding  the  time  of  the  Magi's  visit. 
It  is  the  common  opinion  of  the  Church  that  they  arrived  before 
the  day  of  the  Presentation  and  the  Purification.  Here,  how- 
ever, St.  Matthew  and  St.  Luke  seem  to  disagree.  According  to 
the  former  it  would  appear  that  the  visit  of  the  Magi  occurred 
shortly  after  the  Nativity,  and  that  the  Holy  Family  set  out  for 
Egypt  before  the  Presentation  and  Purification  in  the  Temple ; 
according  to  the  latter,  the  child  was  taken  to  the  Temple  for  the 
Presentation  on  the  fortieth  day  after  His  birth,  as  the  Law  pre- 
scribed, and  thence  the  Holy  Family  retired  to  Nazareth.  Accord- 
ing to  St,  Luke,  therefore,  it  would  seem  that  the  visit  of  the  Magi 
took  place  much  later  than  is  indicated  by  St.  Matthew.  The  ap- 
parent discrepancy  in  the  narratives  of  both  Evangelists  may  be 
reconciled  by  supposing  that  shortly  after  the  visit  of  the  Magi 
our  Lord  was  presented  in  the  Temple ;  and  thence  the  Holy 
Family  proceeded  to  Nazareth,  and  that  it  was  at  Nazareth  that 
Joseph  was  admonished  in  sleep  to  flee  into  Egypt.  But  if,  as 
seems  more  natural  from  the  context  of  St.  Matthew,  Joseph  was 
admonished  by  the  Angel  at  Bethlehem,  we  may  explain  the  Magi's 
visit  as  follows :  After  the  Presentation  of  the  Child  in  the  Temple 
the  Holy  Family  made  a  short  visit  to  Nazareth  and  then  returned 
to  Bethlehem,  where  a  little  later  took  place  the  visit  of  the  Magi, 
which  in  turn  was  followed  by  the  admonition  of  the  angel  and  the 
consequent  flight  into  Egypt.     See  below,  on  verse  16. 

St.  Luke  makes  no  mention  of  the  visit  of  the  wise  men,  or  of 
the  flight  into  Egypt.  There  are  two  very  probable  reasons  for 
this  omission :  (a)  the  stories  were  not  found  in  the  documents  used 
by  St.  Luke,  and  were,  consequently,  most  likely  unknown  to  him ; 
or  (b)  the  narration  of  these  facts  did  not  pertain  to  the  end 
St.  Luke  had  in  giving  an  account  of  the  infancy  of  Jesus,  which 
end  was  to  show  our  Lord's  submission  and  obedience  to  the  Law 
according  to  the  doctrine  of  St.  Paul  (Gal.  iv.  5;  Philipp.  ii.  7  ff.). 
St.  Matthew,  on  the  contrary,  narrates  these  events,  because  his 
purpose  is  to  show  the  fulfillment  of  the  ancient  prophecies  regard- 
ing the  infancy  of  Christ. 


ST.  MATTHEW  II,  2-6  13 

2.  Saying,  Where  is  he  that  is  born  king  of  the  Jews?  For  we  have  seen 
his  star  in  the  east,  and  are  come  to  adore  him. 

3.  And  king  Herod  hearing  this,  was  troubled,  and  all  Jerusalem  with  him. 

4.  And  assembling  together  all  the  chief  priests  and  the  scribes  of  the 
people,  he  inquired  of  them  where  Christ  should  be  born. 

5.  But  they  said  to  him  :  In  Bethlehem  of  Juda.  For  so  it  is  written  by  the 
prophet ; 

6.  And  thou  Bethlehem  the  land  of  Juda  art  not  the  least  among  the 
princes  of  Juda :  for  out  of  thee  shall  come  forth  the  captain  that  shall  rule 
my  people  Israel. 


2.  Star.  This  might  have  been  a  natural  phenomenon  by  wav 
of  a  comet,  or,  as  Kepler  and  other  modern  scientists  say,  by  the 
coinciding-  of  two  planets,  Jupiter  and  Saturn,  which  occurs  in 
May,  in  September,  and  in  December  every  eight  hundred  years. 
More  probably  this  star  was  miraculous.  It  attracted  the  Magi  as 
something  strange  and  new ;  it  guided  them  toward  Jerusalem : 
it  was  not  visible  while  they  were  being  interviewed  by  Herod,  and 
when  they  left  him  it  again  appeared  and  guided  them  to  Bethle- 
hem ;  it  traveled  from  north  to  south  and  not  from  east  to  west 
according  to  the  natural  course  of  the  sidereal  world;  and  finally 
when  the  Magi  had  arrived  at  Bethlehem,  it  again  halted  and 
"  stood  over  where  the  child  was  "  (verse  9).  From  all  this  it  seems 
beyond  doubt  that  this  star,  or  luminous  body,  was  not  natural,  but 
miraculous  in  its  formation,  course  and  purpose. 

We  are  come  to  adore  him,  etc.  From  this  it  would  seem  that 
the  Magi  were  enlightened  from  on  high  as  to  the  divine  character 
of  our  Lord. 

4.  The  chief  priests,  etc. ;  i.  e.,  the  Sanhedrim,  which  was  com- 
posed of  the  heads  of  the  twenty- four  sacerdotal  families,  the 
Scribes,  or  doctors  of  the  Law,  and  the  elders  of  the  people,  or 
influential  laymen.  In  all  there  were  seventy  members  in  the  San- 
hedrim, presided  over  by  the  High-Priest. 

The  scribes  of  the  people  were  a  class  of  men  whose  office  it 
was  to  preserve  the  sacred  records,  to  announce  and  expound  the 
sacred  Scriptures  to  the  people,  and  to  solve  doubts. 

5.  In  Bethlehem  of  Juda.  A  better  reading  has,  "  In  Bethle- 
hem of  Judea."  Bethlehem  formerly  belonged  to  the  kingdom  of 
Juda. 

6.  Art  not  least  among  the  princes  of  Juda;  i.e.,  thou  art  by 


14  ST.  MATTHEW  II,  7-13 

7.  Then  Herod,  privately  calling  the  wise  men,  learned  diligently  of  them 
the  time  of  the  star  which  appeared  to  them ; 

8.  And  sending  them  into  Bethlehem,  said ;  Go  and  diligently  inquire  after 
the  child,  and  when  you  have  found  him,  bring  me  word  again,  that  I  also  may 
come  and  adore  him. 

9.  Who  having  heard  the  king,  went  their  way ;  and  behold  the  star  which 
they  had  seen  in  the  east,  went  before  them,  until  it  came  and  stood  over  where 
the  child  was. 

10.  And  seeing  the  star  they  rejoiced  with  exceeding  great  joy. 

11.  And  entering  into  the  house,  they  found  the  child  with  Mary  his 
mother,  and  falling  down  they  adored  him ;  and  opening  their  treasures,  they 
offered  him  gifts;  gold,  frankincense,  and  myrrh. 

12.  And  having  received  an  answer  in  sleep  that  they  should  not  return  to 
Herod,  they  went  back  another  way  into  their  country. 

13.  And  after  they  were  departed,  behold  an  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  in 
sleep  to  Joseph,  saying :  Arise,  and  take  the  child  and  his  mother,  and  fly  into 
Egypt :  and  be  there  until  I  shall  tell  thee.  For  it  will  come  to  pass  that  Herod 
will  seek  the  child  to  destroy  him. 

no  means  insignificant  among  the  leading  cities  of  Juda.  The 
citation  is  substantially  from  Micheas  v.  2. 

9.  Until  it  came  and  stood,  etc.,  —  literally,  "till  coming  it  stood  " 
(ews  iXduv  eo-rrj).  It  is  evident  from  this  and  the  following  verse 
that  the  star  reappeared  at  Jerusalem,  when  the  Magi  left  Herod, 
and  guided  them  to  the  cave  at  Bethlehem. 

II.  House;  i.e.,  the  stable  or  cave  where  our  Lord  was  born; 
according  to  Jewish  usage  every  dwelling  place  was  called  a  house. 

Gifts.  It  was  a  custom  among  the  Easterns  that  no  one  should 
visit  a  king  or  prince  for  the  first  time  without  presenting  to  him 
gifts.  In  the  case  of  the  Magi  these  gifts  —  gold,  frankincense  and 
myrrh  —  were  the  usual  presents  in  Chaldea.  They  signified  the 
oflferings  we  should  present  to  God :  charity,  symbolized  by  gold ; 
prayer  and  devotion,  symbolized  by  frankincense;  mortification, 
symbolized  by  myrrh. 

13.  Fly  into  Egypt.  The  Egyptian  frontier  was  hardly  two  days' 
journey  from  Bethlehem.  Egypt  had  always  been  the  place  of 
refuge  for  those  who  were  persecuted  in  Palestine,  and  the  very 
heart  of  the  country  could  be  reached  in  a  week. 

St.  Matthew  does  not  say  that  Joseph  was  admonished  to  flee 
immediately  after  the  visit  of  the  Magi ;  he  merely  states  the  fact, 
without  giving  the  time,  and  hence  we  need  not  depart  from  the 
first  explanation  given  above,  verse  i. 


ST.  MATTHEW  II,  14-18  15 

14.  Who  arose,  and  took  the  child  and  his  mother  by  night,  and  retired  into 
Egypt:  and  he  was  there  until  the  death  of  Herod  : 

15.  That  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  the  Lord  spoke  by  the  prophet,  saying : 
Out  of  Egypt  have  I  called  my  son. 

16.  Then  Herod  perceiving  that  he  was  deluded  by  the  wise  men,  was  ex- 
ceeding angry ;  and  sending  killed  all  the  men  children  that  were  in  Bethlehem, 
and  in  all  the  borders  thereof,  from  two  years  old  and  under,  according  to  the 
time  which  he  had  diligently  inquired  of  the  wise  men. 

17.  Then  was  fulfilled  that  which  was  spoken  by  Jeremias  the  prophet, 
saying : 

18.  A  voice  in  Rama  was  heard,  lamentation  and  great  mourning;  Rachel 
bewailing  her  children,  and  would  not  be  comforted,  because  they  are  not. 

14.  By  night;  i.e.,  immediately,  without  delay,  after  having  re- 
ceived the  angel's  warning. 

Into  Egypt,  which  was  outside  the  jurisdiction  of  Herod. 
Until  the  death  of  Herod.     See  above,  ii.  1. 

15.  Out  of  Egypt  have  I  called  my  son.  These  words  refer 
directly  to  the  Hebrew  people  who  were  delivered  from  Egypt. 
It  was  not  uncommon  for  the  Almighty  to  call  His  people  by  the 
title  of  "Son."  Cf.  Osee  xi.  i.  These  words,  however,  refer 
secondarily  to  Christ,  who  was  by  excellence  the  Son  of  God. 

16.  Killed  all  the  men  children  in  Bethlehem.  The  population 
of  this  little  town  with  its  confines  was  perhaps  about  3000;  the 
male  children  of  two  years  and  under  likely  did  not  number  more 
than  twenty  or  thirty. 

Two  years  old  and  under.  From  these  words  some  commenta- 
tors have  concluded  that  the  Magi  saw  the  star  two  years  before 
the  birth  of  Christ ;  others  with  greater  probability  say  that  the 
star  appeared  simultaneously  with  the  birth  of  Jesus.  It  is  im- 
probable, however,  that  the  Holy  Family  remained  for  long  at 
Bethlehem.  Still  it  must  be  admitted  that  there  is  nothing  in  the 
Gospel  narrative  to  force  us  to  believe  that  the  adoration  took  place 
at  Bethlehem.  Herod  directed  the  Magi  to  go  thither,  but  the  star 
conducted  them  where  the  child  was,  which  might  have  been  at 
Nazareth.  At  any  rate  the  two.  years  and  under  most  likely  refer  to 
the  time  between  the  appearance  of  the  star  and  the  visit  of  the  Magi. 

18.  A  voice  in  Rama,  —  literally,  a  high  place.  Rama  is  a 
town  twelve  miles  north  of  Bethlehem  on  the  confines  of  Juda 
and  Benjamin.  The  words  signify  that  there  was  loud  crying  heard 
at  a  great  distance. 


i6  ST.  MATTHEW  II,  19-23 

19.  But  when  Herod  was  dead,  behold  an  angel  of  the  Lord  appeared  in 
sleep  to  Joseph  in  Egypt, 

20.  Saying:  Arise,  and  take  the  child  and  his  mother,  and  go  into  the  land 
of  Israel.    For  they  are  dead  that  sought  the  life  of  the  child. 

21.  Who  arose,  and  took  the  child  and  his  mother,  and  came  into  the  land 
of  Israel. 

22.  But  hearing  that  Archelaus  reigned  in  Judea  in  the  room  of  Herod  his 
father,  he  was  afraid  to  go  thither :  and  being  warned  in  sleep  retired  into 
the  quarters  of  Galilee. 

23.  And  coming  he  dwelt  in  a  city  called  Nazareth  :  that  it  might  be  fulfilled 
which  was  said  by  the  prophets :  That  he  shall  be  called  a  Nazarene. 

Rachel  bewailing  her  children;  i.  e.,  as  Rachel  the  grandmother 
of  Ephraim,  although  in  her  grave,  was  said  to  mourn  the  loss  of 
the  ten  tribes  of  Israel,  whose  first  king,  Jeroboam,  had  sprung  from 
the  tribe  of  Ephraim,  and  who  were  taken  into  captivity  by  the 
Babylonians,  so  now  she  is  said  to  mourn  again  the  slaughter  of 
the  Innocents  by  Herod.     The  quotation  is  from  Jer.  xxxi.  15. 

19.  When  Herod  was  dead.  Herod  died  an  ignominious  death 
at  the  age  of  seventy  years  (Josephus,  Antiq.  xvii.  6,  5 ;  8,  i). 

20.  They.  Herod  alone  is  referred  to  here  (verse  19),  but  the 
plural  form  perhaps  refers  to  the  fact  that  he  had  sent  soldiers  to 
kill- the  Child. 

22.  Who  arose,  etc.  The  Holy  Family  left  Egypt  immediately 
on  receiving  the  angel's  message.  Their  stay  in  Egypt  seems  to 
have  been  brief. 

22.  Archelaus  reigned  in  Judea;  i.  e.,  Archelaus  exercised  the  of- 
fice of  his  predecessor,  although  he  was  never  appointed  king.  He  was 
tetrarch  of  Judea,  Samaria,  and  Idumea ;  but  was  shortly  after  deposed. 

He  was  afraid.  The  cruelty  of  Archelaus  was  well  known ;  and 
hence  St.  Joseph,  who  might  have  wished  to  return  by  way  of 
Bethlehem  and  Jerusalem  to  render  thanks  to  God  in  the  Temple, 
chose  to  avoid  him  and  go  to  Galilee. 

23.  Nazareth ;  i.  e.,  the  home  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  the 
scene  of  the  Annunciation,  a  small  town  at  the  foot  of  Mt.  Thabor. 

Nazarene,  or  Nazarite.  It  is  remarkable  that  in  none  of  the 
prophets  was  it  foretold  that  our  Lord  should  be  called  a  Nazarene. 
The  majority  of  commentators  understand  the  present  verse  to 
refer  to  the  words  of  Isaias  (xi.  i)  :  "there  shall  come  forth,  etc. 
—  and  a  flower  shall  rise  up  out  of  his  root."  The  word  here  ren- 
dered floiver  is  Neser  in  Hebrew  —  hence  Nazarite.     The  passage 


ST.  MATTHEW  III,  1-2  17 

froin  Isaias  should  then  be  rendered :  "  And  a  Nasarite  shall  rise 
up  out  of  his  root.'' 

CHAPTER   III 

The  Preaching  of  John  the  Baptist,  1-12. 
The  Baptism  of  Jesus,  13-17. 

1.  And  in  those  days  cometh  John  the  Baptist  preaching  in  the  desert  of 
Judea. 

2.  And  saying:  Do  penance :  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand. 

1.  In  those  days;  i.  e.,  while  our  Lord  was  dwelling  at  Nazareth. 
These  words  do  not  imply  that  the  event  about  to  be  spoken  of 
occurred  immediately  after  the  event  previously  narrated.  The 
date  here  referred  to  was  around  a.d.  25.     Cf.  Luke  iii.  i. 

John  the  Baptist,  so  styled  from  his  office  of  preaching  the  bap- 
tism of  penance,  which  was  a  preparation  for  the  ministry  of 
Christ. 

In  the  desert  of  Judea.  Origen,  St.  Jerome,  and  others  tell  us 
that  the  Baptist  while  yet  an  infant  was  taken  by  his  mother  Eliza- 
beth into  the  desert  to  escape  the  cruelty  of  Herod.  According 
to  Cedrenus,  Elizabeth  died  forty  days  after  their  flight,  and  the 
Baptist  was  reared  by  the  help  of  angels,  or  by  the  help  of  an  at- 
tendant of  Elizabeth,  his  mother.  From  the  interior  of  this  wilder- 
ness or  desert,  John  came  forth  to  the  country  about  the  Jordan, 
which  on  account  of  its  few  inhabitants  is  also  called  the  desert  of 
Judea.  It  is  a  barren  region  stretching  along  the  western  side  of 
the  Dead  Sea.  Matthew  and  Mark  say  he  preached  ''  in  the  desert 
of  Judea,"  by  which  they  mean  the  confines  of  the  desert,  on  the 
banks  of  the  Jordan. 

2.  Saying:  Do  penance;  i.e.,  perform  the  works  of  penance, 
such  as  fasting,  alms-deeds,  etc. 

The  kingdom  of  heaven,  or  of  God.  These  words  are  not  found 
in  the  Old  Testament ;  here  in  St.  Matthew  they  appear  for  the 
first  time;  Mark  and  Luke  speak  of  the  "kingdom  of  God."  The 
"  kingdom  of  heaven,"  or  "  of  God,"  may  mean:  (a)  the  abode  of 
the  Blessed;  (b)  the  Church  on  earth ;  (c)  as  here,  the  reign  of  the 
Messiah;  (d)  sometimes  it  merely  means  God's  dealings  with  men, 
as  in  some  of  the  parables.     The  first  three  meanings  may  be  uni- 


1 8  ST.  MATTHEW  III,  3-6 

3.  For  this  is  he  that  was  spoken  of  by  Isaias  the  prophet,  saying :  A  voice 
of  one  crying  in  the  desert,  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make  straight  his 
paths, 

4.  And  the  same  John  had  his  garment  of  camels'  hair,  and  a  leathern  girdle 
about  his  loins :  and  his  meat  was  locusts  and  wild  honey. 

5.  Then  went  out  to  him  Jerusalem  and  all  Judea,  and  all  the  country  about 
Jordan : 

6.  And  were  baptized  by  him  in  the  Jordan,  confessing  their  sins. 

fied,  since  the  temporal  reign  of  the  Messiah  was  the  prelude  to,  or 
beginning  of,  the  establishment  of  the  Church,  or  Christ's  Kingdom 
on  earth,  and  ended  by  opening  the  gates  of  Heaven. 

3.  For  this  is  he,  etc.  These  are  the  words  of  St.  Matthew 
relative  to  John  the  Baptist. 

A  voice  of  one  crying;  i.e.,  the  preaching  of  John,  the  fore- 
runner of  Christ,  proclaiming  the  advent  of  the  Messiah. 

Prepare  ye  the  way,  etc.  Here  there  is  an  allusion  to  the 
Eastern  custom  of  sending  men  before  the  approach  of  kings  or 
princes  to  remove  all  obstacles  from  their  way  and  make  easy  their 
path.  In  this  verse  the  phrase  means  to  remove  all  obstacles  which 
could  be  offensive  to  the  Messiah,  such  as  sin,  the  gratification  of 
the  passions,  etc. 

4.  Locusts.  These  are  well-known  small  insects  considered  as 
clean  animals  among  the  Jews.  St.  Jerome  tells  us  that  the  poor 
people  were  accustomed  to  dry  and  salt  them  for  food.  Even  now 
there  are  poor  in  the  East  who  live  on  a  certain  kind  of  locust. 

5.  Jerusalem  and  Judea ;  i.  e.,  great  crowds  went  out  from 
Jerusalem  and  all  Judea  to  hear  the  Baptist's  preaching. 

6.  Baptized ;  i.  e.,  washing  by  immersion,  as  was  the  custom 
among  the  Jews,  from  the  earliest  times,  and  the  form  of  conferring 
Baptism  in  the  early  Church.  It  is  de  fide  from  the  Council  of 
Trent  that  the  baptism  of  John  and  that  of  Christ  had  not  the  same 
force  or  efficacy.  The  baptism  of  John  was  merely  an  external 
washing  which  disposed  the  penitent  for  forgiveness  and  newness  of 
life,  whereas  the  Baptism  which  Christ  instituted  penetrates  to  the 
soul  and  actually  remits  sin.  It  was  only  when  accompanied  by 
perfect  contrition  that  John's  baptism  and  penance  blotted  out  sin; 
and  even  then,  by  virtue  of  perfect  contrition  only.  John's  baptism 
presupposed  three  conditions:  (a)  sorrow  for  sin;  (b)  faith  in  the 
Messiah  to  come;  and  (c)  confession  of  some  sins. 


ST.  A'lATTHEW  III,  7  19 

7.  And  seeing  many  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  coming  to  his  baptism, 
he  said  to  them :  Ye  brood  of  vipers,  who  hath  shewed  you  to  flee  from  the 
wrath  to  come  ? 

Confessing  their  sins;  i.  e.,  in  detail,  and  not  merely  in  a  general 
way.  The  rite  of  confessing  certain  sins  in  particular  was  practiced 
among  the  Jews  and  enjoined  by  the  law  of  Moses  (Levit.  iv  and  v; 
Num.  V.  7)  ;  but  the  Jewish  priests  had  no  power  of  real  and  in- 
terior absolution. 

7.  And  seeing  many  of  the  Pharisees,  etc.  There  were  among 
the  Jews  three  leading  religious  and  philosophical  sects :  the  Phari- 
sees, the  Sadducees,  and  the  Essenes.  These  sects  first  appeared 
in  the  time  of  the  Machabees.  The  Pharisees  were  a  separatist 
sect,  as  their  name  indicates  {Parusch,  separated,  sectary).  They 
considered  themselves  superior  to  others  because  of  their  knowledge 
and  observance  of  the  Law.  Their  prevailing  characteristics  came 
to  be  pride  and  hypocrisy ;  they  taught  traditions  contrary  to  the  law 
of  God ;  but  they  believed  in  the  resurrection  of  the  body  and  in  the 
immortality  of  the  soul.  Josephus  {Bell.  Jiid.  lib.  ii.  c.  8)  seems  to 
tell  us  that  they  also  believed  to  some  extent  in  the  transmigration 
of  souls ;  but  it  is  more  probable  that  the  text  cited  from  Josephus 
treats  of  the  resurrection  of  the  body.  In  some  things  the  Pharisees 
were  fatalists. 

The  Sadducees,  so  called  from  their  founder,  Sadoc,  were  noted 
for  their  rigorous  justice  in  punishing  offenders  whenever  they 
had  any  authority  to  exercise.  They  were  free-thinkers  and  Epi- 
cureans in  religion ;  they  denied  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  and 
the  existence  of  angels  and  spirits. 

The  Essenes  are  not  mentioned  in  Scripture ;  but  they  are  de- 
scribed by  Josephus.  Their  one  distinctive  principle  was  to  strive 
after  purity,  not  the  purity  of  the  Pharisees,  which  meant  freedom 
from  ceremonial  defilement,  but  a  more  absolute  purity,  which 
means  freedom  from  contact  with  things  material.  Hence  they 
lived  separated  from  the  world,  chiefly  in  country  districts,  led  lives 
of  extreme  simplicity  and  in  community,  took  their  meals  together, 
and  worked  and  prayed.  All  members  of  the  order  passed  through 
a  novitiate  of  three  successive  grades,  each  lasting  a  year.  Admis- 
sion to  membership  involved  the  taking  of  a  severe  oath  binding 
them  to  a  rigorous  asceticism  and  strict  secrecv. 


20  ST.  MATTHEW  III,  8-13 

8.  Bring  forth  therefore  fruit  worthy  of  penance. 

9.  And  think  not  to  say  within  yourselves,  We  have  Abraham  for  our 
father.  For  I  tell  you  that  God  is  able  of  these  stones  to  raise  up  children  to 
Abraham. 

10.  For  now  the  axe  is  laid  to  the  root  of  the  trees.  Every  tree  therefore 
that  doth  not  yield  good  fruit,  shall  be  cut  down,  and  cast  into  the  fire. 

11.  I  indeed  baptize  you  in  water  unto  penance,  but  he  that  shall  come  after 
me,  is  mightier  than  I,  whose  shoes  I  am  not  worthy  to  bear ;  he  shall  baptize 
you  in  the  Holy  Ghost  and  fire. 

12.  Whose  fan  is  in  his  hand,  and  he  will  thoroughly  cleanse  his  floor  and 
gather  his  wheat  into  the  barn ;  but  the  chafT  he  will  burn  with  unquenchable 
fire. 

13.  Then  cometh  Jesus  from  Galilee  to  the  Jordan,  unto  John,  to  be  bap- 
tized by  him. 

Who  hath  showed  you,  etc. ;  i.  e.,  who  has  been  able  to  per- 
suade you  of  your  own  need  of  penance,  and  of  the  everlasting 
fire  awaiting  your  sins. 

8.  Bring  forth,  etc. ;  i.  e.,  be  not  penitent  in  word  only,  but  do 
the  works  of  penance,  —  exercise  charity,  humility,  mercy. 

9.  The  meaning  of  this  verse  is :  Do  not  think  that  because  you 
boast  of  Abraham  as  your  father,  you  are  thereby  justified;  but 
see  to  it  that  you  practice  the  virtues  of  Abraham,  for  no  matter 
how  hard  the  hearts,  even  if  they  be  like  stones,  God  is  able  to 
raise  up  children  from  them  who  will  imitate  the  virtues  of 
Abraham. 

10.  The  meaning  of  this  verse  is  that  God  is  about  to  administer 
speedy  punishment  to  the  unrepentant  sinner,  and  every  man  that 
does  not  penance  will  be  cut  off  and  cast  into  the  fire  of  hell. 

11.  I  indeed  baptize;  i.  e..  my  baptism  disposes  you  for  penance, 
and  for  the  Baptism  of  Christ,  the  Divine  Person  who  is  to  come 
after  me,  and  whose  Baptism  will  both  cleanse  from  sin  every  soul 
worthily  disposed,  and  will  warm  and  purify  it  with  His  Holy 
Spirit,  after  the  manner  of  fire. 

12.  In  this  verse  there  is  reference  to  the  ancient  method  of 
thrashing  grain  and  winnowing  the  wheat  from  the  chaff;  just  as 
the  thrasher  separates  the  wheat  from  the  chaff,  so  will  Christ 
separate  the  good  from  the  bad,  —  the  former  destined  for  His 
Heavenly  Kingdom,  the  latter  for  hell  fire. 

13.  Then  cometh  Jesus  from  Galilee;  i.e.,  from  His  home  in 
Nazareth.     It  was  the  beginning  of  our  Lord's  public  life. 


ST.  MATTHEW  III,  14-16  2i 

14.  But  John  stayed  him,  saying:  I  ought  to  be  baptized  by  thee,  and  comest 
thou  to  me  ? 

15.  And  Jesus  answering,  said  to  him  :  Suffer  it  to  be  so  now.  For  so  it 
becometh  us  to  fulfil  all  justice.    Then  he  suffered  him. 

16.  And  Jesus  being  baptized,  forthwith  came  out  of  the  water :  and  lo,  the 
heavens  were  opened  to  him :  and  he  saw  the  Spirit  of  God  descending  as  a 
dove,  and  coming  upon  him. 

To  be  baptized.  Just  as  our  Saviour  submitted  to  circumcision, 
so  now  He  suffers  Himself  to  be  baptized  by  John,  in  order  to 
fulfill  all  justice,  i.  e.,  to  practice  the  observance  of  the  law  which 
He  preached  to  others,  although  He  Himself  stood  in  no  need  of 
these  observances.  It  was  an  example  of  observance  that  He 
wished  to  give. 

14.  But  John  stayed  him;  i.e.,  John  felt  unworthy  that  he,  a 
creature,  should  minister  to  the  wishes  of  his  Lord  and  Master. 
Most  likely  John  had  never  seen  Jesus  before,  although  he  was 
expecting  Him  (John  i.  31)  ;  but  now  by  an  interior  impulse,  he 
recognized  the  Saviour. 

I  ought  to  be  baptized  by  thee;  i.e.,  I  have  some  sins  to  be 
washed  away,  even  though  they  be  but  venial ;  you  have  no  sins. 

15.  It  becometh  us  to  fulfil  all  justice.  For  John  the  fulfilling 
of  justice  meant  that  he  was  to  be  the  last  representative  of  the 
Mosaic  Law ;  that  he  was  to  announce  the  new  kingdom  of  Christ, 
but  die  without  becoming  a  member  of  it,  or  sharing  in  its  bless- 
ings. He  was  to  be  saved  by  faith  in  the  Messiah,  and  not  by  the 
Sacraments  which  that  Messiah  would  institute.  For  Jesus,  justice 
meant  that,  being  born  under  the  Law,  He  should  obey  it  and  thus 
fulfil  it,  until  He  had  changed  it  for  the  New  Law  (Gal.  iv.  4). 

16.  The  heavens  were  opened ;  i.  e.,  a  rift  was  made  in  the 
cloud,  or  in  the  blue  vault  above,  from  which  the  voice  of  the 
Eternal  Father  was  distinctly  heard,  and  the  descent  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  perceived.  It  is  disputed  whether  this  vision  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  was  accorded  to  all,  or  to  John  only.  The  latter  opinion 
seems  to  be  the  more  probable,  since  it  is  hardly  likely  that  our 
Lord  would  have  wished  to  give  open  manifestation  of  His  Divinity 
to  all  so  early  in  His  career.  Further,  such  a  public  manifestation 
would  have  excited  a  popular  demonstration  which  the  Evangel- 
ists could  not  have  failed  to  record. 

As  a  dove.    The  Holy  Spirit  assumed  the  form  of  a  dove,  be- 


22  ST.  MATTHEW  HI,  17;  IV,  1,  2 

17.  And  behold  a  voice  from  heaven,  saying:  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in 
whom  I  am  well  pleased. 

cause  the  dove  symbolizes  His  virtues,  which  are  love,  peace,  purity, 
and  the  like. 

17.  A  voice  from  heaven,  which  was  the  voice  of  the  Eternal 
Father,  bearing  testimony  to  His  Only-begotten  Son,  and  introduc- 
ing Him  into  the  world.  Our  Lord  was  about  thirty  years  of  age 
(Luke  iii.  2-^),  the  age  at  which  a  Levite  was  admitted  to  the 
exercise  of  his  ministry  (Num.  iv.  3,  47),  and  a  young  man  to 
the  discharge  of  public  affairs. 

CHAPTER   IV 

The  Fast  and  Temptation  of  Jesus,  i-ii. 
The  Return  to  Galilee,  12-17. 
The  Call  of  the  First  Four  Apostles,  iS-22. 
The  Preaching  of  Jesus,  23-25. 

1.  Then  Jesus  was  led  by  the  spirit  into  the  desert,  to  be  tempted  by  the 
devil. 

2.  And  when  he  had  fasted  forty  days  and  forty  nights,  afterwards  he  was 
hungry. 

1.  Then  Jesus  was  led  by  the  spirit,  etc.;  i.e.,  immediately 
after  His  baptism  and  the  descent  upon  Him  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
in  the  form  of  a  dove,  Jesus  was  conducted  by  this  same  Holy 
Spirit  into  the  desert.  This  desert  was  a  rocky  and  mountainous 
wilderness  stretching  from  north  to  south  along  the  west  coast  of 
the  Dead  Sea. 

To  be  tempted;  i.  e.,  to  be  subjected  to  trials,  moral  and  phys- 
ical, by  the  arch  enemy  of  mankind.  Our  Lord  could  not  be 
tempted  from  within,  since  He  was  sinless,  and  had  no  corrupt 
inclinations  such  as  we  have. 

2.  And  when  he  had  fasted,  etc.  It  is  sometimes  questioned 
whether  or  not  the  fast  of  our  Lord  during  forty  days  and  forty 
nights  was  absolute.  St.  Luke  seems  to  affirm  that  it  was ;  and  in 
view  of  recent  examples  of  people  abstaining  from  all  food  and 
drink  for  a  time  even  longer  than  this,  it  seems  altogether  likely 
that  the  fast  of  Christ  was  absolute.  Our  Lord,  before  giving  the 
New  Law,  thus  fasted  for  forty  days  and  forty  nights  in  imitation 


ST.  MATTHEW  IV,  3,  4  23 

3.  And  the  tempter  coming  said  to  him :  If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God,  com- 
mand that  these  stones  be  made  bread. 

4.  Who  answered  and  said :  It  is  written.  Not  in  bread  alone  doth  man 
live,  but  in  every  word  that  proceedeth  from  the  mouth  of  God. 

of  Moses  and  Elias  who  fasted  forty  days,  —  the  former,  before 
giving  the  Old  Law,  and  the  latter,  before  reforming  it.  Unlike 
Jewish  fasts,  which  were  only  during  the  daytime,  our  Lord's  fast 
continued  through  the  night  as  well. 

He  was  hungry ;  i.  e..  He  voluntarily  submitted  to  suffer  the 
pangs  of  hunger  in  His  human  nature,  in  order  to  prove  His 
humanity,  and  to  allow  the  devil  to  tempt  Him. 

3.  And  the  tempter  coming,  etc.  According  to  St.  Luke  (iv.  2) 
and  St.  Mark  (i.  13)  it  seems  that  Christ  was  more  or  less  contin- 
ually subjected  to  temptations  during  His  entire  stay  in  the  desert. 
The  three  temptations  related  at  the  end  of  His  fast  were  but  the 
culmination  of  those  which  had  preceded. 

On  account  of  the  hypostatic  union  of  the  divine  and  human 
natures  in  Christ  the  question  arises  how  temptation  could  assail 
the  soul  of  Jesus,  and  in  what  manner  was  the  enemy  able  to  at- 
tack Him.  The  theologians  of  all  times  have  held  that  at  the  times 
of  the  trials  and  sufferings  of  our  Lord,  the  Divinity  withdrew, 
as  it  were,  into  the  superior  regions  of  His  soul,  thus  leaving  His 
human  nature  open  to  attack  and  suffering.  Not  that  the  Divinity 
of  our  Lord  was  at  these  times  at  all  separated  from  His  humanity, 
but  only  that  the  force  of  the  former  was,  so  to  say,  suspended. 
The  presence  of  the  Word  ever  assured  the  final  triumph  of  the 
Saviour,  while  the  momentary  isolation  of  the  soul  established  His 
merit  {Summa  Tlieol.  iii.  qu.  46,  a.  8). 

If  thou  be  the  son  of  God,  etc. ;  i.  e.,  if  You  be  truly  what  the 
voice  at  Your  baptism  said  You  were.  You  are  God ;  therefore 
do  not  ask  and  pray  as  You  are  doing,  but  command  that  these 
very  stones  round  about  You  be  made  bread  to  satisfy  Your 
hunger.  This  first  temptation  was  to  the  concupiscence  of  the 
flesh,  but  our  Lord  was  free  from  all  concupiscence.  The  devil 
at  this  time  was  not  certain  of  the  Divinity  of  Christ. 

4.  It  is  written;  i.e.,  in  the  Holy  Scriptures  (Deut.  viii.  3). 
Not  in  bread  alone,  etc.     Bread  is  here  used  to  signify  all  the 

elements  by  which  we  are  naturally  nourished. 


24  ST.  MATTHEW  IV,  5-8 

5.  Then  the  devil  took  him  up  into  the  holy  city,  and  set  him  upon  the  pin- 
nacle of  the  temple, 

6.  And  said  to  him :  If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God,  cast  thyself  down,  for  it  is 
written :  That  he  hath  given  his  angels  charge  over  thee,  and  in  their  hands 
shall  they  bear  thee  up,  lest  perhaps  thou  dash  thy  foot  against  a  stone. 

7.  Jesus  said  to  him  :  It  is  written  again  :  Thou  shalt  not  tempt  the  Lord  thy 
God. 

8.  Again  the  devil  took  him  up  into  a  very  high  mountain,  and  shewed  him 
all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world,  and  the  glor>'  of  them. 

But  in  every  word,  etc. ;  i.  e.,  God  chooses  to  nourish  us  now 
by  certain  elements ;  but  His  Providence  is  able  to  establish  any 
other  means  of  sustenance  for  us  which  He  may  think  fit. 

5.  Then  the  devil  took  him  up,  etc.  It  may  be  remarked  that 
commentators  have  long  been  divided  as  to  whether  the  devil  ap- 
peared visibly  and  conveyed  our  Lord  visibly  and  physically  to 
the  Holy  City,  to  the  pinnacle  of  the  Temple,  and  to  the  high 
mountain ;  or  whether  the  tempter  was  invisible  and  the  temptation 
merely  spiritual.  The  majority  hold  the  first  opinion;  the  second 
seems  more  likely.  At  all  events  the  temptation  is  the  same;  it 
was  a  real  fact.    This  second  temptation  was  to  the  pride  of  life. 

Holy  city;  i.e.,  Jerusalem,  which  was  called  holy  because  of 
the  Temple,  which  was  the  center  of  true  worship. 

Pinnacle  of  the  temple;  i.  e.,  the  most  elevated  part  of  the  Temple. 

6.  If  thou  be  the  son  of  God,  cast  thyself  down.  It  seems 
from  these  words  that  Satan  was  really  doubting  the  Divinity  of 
Christ  and  wanted  proof  of  it. 

He  hath  given  his  angels,  etc.,  referring  to  Psalm  xc.  11,  12, 
and  perhaps  to  the  guardian  angel  who  has  charge  over  each 
human  soul.  It  is  the  common  teaching  of  theologians  that  Christ 
had  no  guardian  angel;  the  angel's  office  was  discharged  by  the 
presence  of  the  Word. 

And  in  their  hands,  etc. ;  i.  e.,  they  shall  guard  and  protect  You 
from  all  harm. 

7.  Thou  shalt  not  tempt,  etc. ;  i.  e.,  thou  shalt  not  provoke  God 
to  anger,  or  make  useless  trials  of  His  attributes.  The  quotation 
is  from  Deut.  vi.  16. 

8.  Again  the  devil  took  him  up,  etc.  This  third  temptation 
was  to  the  concupiscence  of  the  eyes,  to  the  passion  for  power. 
What  mountain  is  here  referred  to  is  unknown. 


ST.  MATTHEW  IV,  9-13  25 

9.  And  said  to  him:  All  these  will  I  give  thee,  if  falling  down  thou  wilt 
adore  me. 

10.  Then  Jesus  saith  to  him  :  Begone,  Satan  :  for  it  is  written,  The  Lord  thy 
God  shalt  thou  adore,  and  him  only  shalt  thou  serve. 

11.  Then  the  devii  left  him;  and  behold  angels  came  and  ministered  to  him. 

12.  And  when  Jesus  had  heard  that  John  was  delivered  up,  he  retired  into 
Galilee : 

13.  And  leaving  the  city  Nazareth,  he  came  and  dwelt  in  Capharnaum  on 
the  sea  coast,  in  the  borders  of  Zabulon  and  of  Nephthalim ; 

All  the  kingdoms  of  the  world;  i.e..  Satan  represented  to  our 
Lord  the  chief  nations  of  the  world.  There  is  no  mountain  on 
earth  from  whose  summit  could  really  be  seen  all  the  kingdoms 
of  the  world. 

9.  All  these  will  I  give,  etc.  Here  the  devil  was  guilty  of  a  lie, 
for  he  had  not  power  over  all  the  kingdoms  of  the  world,  not  even 
power  over  his  own  evil  kingdom,  except  in  so  far  as  God  per- 
mitted it  to  him. 

If  falling  down,  etc.  Satan  now  wishes  to  assume  again,  as  in 
his  first  prevarication,  the  place  of  God. 

10.  The  Lord  thy  God  shalt  thou  adore.  Theologians  distin- 
guish the  worship  due  to  God,  to  the  saints,  and  to  the  Blessed 
Virgin:  the  first  is  called  latria,  or  worship:  the  second  dulia,  or 
veneration ;  the  third  hyperdulia,  or  special  veneration.  The  quo- 
tation is  from  Deut.  vi.  13. 

11.  And  behold  angels  came  and  ministered,  etc.;  i.e.,  angels 
came  in  visible  form  with  food  and  nourishment  to  relieve  the 
suflfering  Saviour. 

12.  And  when  Jesus  had  heard  that  John  was  delivered  up; 
i.  e.,  delivered  over  to  Herod  Antipas  by  the  Pharisees ;  "  He  re- 
tired." i.  e.,  returned  into  Galilee  from  Judea,  where  He  had  been 
preaching.  John  the  Baptist  was  hated  by  the  Pharisees  on  account 
of  his  influence  with  the  people,  and  by  Herod  because  he  had 
reproved  the  latter  for  having  his  brother  Philip's  wife.  It  must 
be  obsen'ed  that  the  events  here  narrated  did  not  occur  immedi- 
ately after  the  temptation  in  the  desert.  The  Synoptists  at  this 
point  omit  a  number  of  events  narrated  by  St.  John.  This  was  our 
Lord's  second  journey  to  Galilee.  For  the  events  which  preceded 
it,  see  John  i,  ii,  iii. 

13.  And  leaving  the  city  Nazareth,  where  He  had  paid  a  short 


26  ST.  MATTHEW  IV,  14^22 

14.  That  it  might  be  f  ullilled  which  was  said  by  Isaias  the  prophet : 

15.  Land  of  Zabulon  and  land  of  NephthaUm,  the  way  of  the  sea  beyond 
the  Jordan,  Galilee  of  the  Gentiles : 

16.  The  people  that  sat  in  darkness,  hath  seen  great  light :  and  to  them  that 
sat  in  the  region  of  the  shadow  of  death,  light  is  sprung  up. 

17.  From  that  time  Jesus  began  to  preach,  and  to  say:  Do  penance,  for  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand. 

18.  And  Jesus  walking  by  the  sea  of  Galilee,  saw  two  brethren,  Simon  who 
is  called  Peter,  and  Andrew  his  brother,  casting  a  net  into  the  sea  (for  they 
were  fishers). 

19.  And  he  saith  to  them  :  Come  ye  after  me,  and  I  will  make  you  to  be 
fishers  of  men. 

20.  And  they  immediately  leaving  their  nets,  followed  him. 

21.  And  going  on  from  thence,  he  saw  other  two  brethren,  James  the  son 
of  Zebedee,  and  John  his  brother,  in  a  ship  with  Zebedee  their  father,  mending 
their  nets :  and  he  called  them. 

22.  And  they  forthwith  left  their  nets  and  father,  and  followed  him. 

visit,  "  he  came  and  dwelt  in  Capharnaum,"  which  is  on  the  north- 
west coast  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee. 

Zabulon  and  Nephthalim ;  i.e.,  the  portion  of  land  originally 
distributed  to  these  tribes. 

15.  The  way  of  the  sea;  i.e.,  along  the  coast,  or  toward  the 
Sea  of  Tiberias.  There  should  be  a  pause  after  "  sea,"  because 
beyond  the  Jordan  refers  to  another  part  of  the  country ;  namely, 
to  Peraea,  east  of  the  Jordan. 

Galilee  of  the  Gentiles;  i.  e.,  the  extreme  northern  part  of  Gali- 
lee, called  of  "  the  Gentiles  "  because  of  the  great  numbers  of  Gen- 
tiles dwelling  there. 

16.  In  this  verse  there  is  reference  to  the  devastation  wrought 
in  the  above-named  places  by  the  Assyrians.  They  were  left  in 
ignorance  and  ruin.  These  people  now  welcomed  the  Messiah 
bringing  to  them  the  light  of  the  Gospel.  Verses  15  and  16  are 
from  Isa.  ix.  i. 

17.  From  that  time,  etc. ;  i.  e.,  from  the  imprisonment  of  John 
the  Baptist  our  Lord  began  to  preach  publicly  and  constantly. 

18-22.  In  these  verses  there  is  given  a  brief  account  of  the  call 
of  the  first  Apostles.  A  more  detailed  narrative  of  the  same  event 
is  found  in  St.  Luke  (v.  i-ii).  We  know  from  St.  John  (i.  35-43) 
that  John,  Andrew  and  Peter  were  already  somewhat  acquainted 
with  our  Lord.  They  had  been  invited  on  the  banks  of  the 
Jordan   to   follow   the   Saviour   occasionally   and   for  a   time   only 


ST.  MATTHEW  IV,  23,  24  27 

22.  And  Jesus  went  about  all  Galilee,  teaching  in  their  synagogues,  and 
preaching  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom :  and  healing  all  manner  of  sickness  and 
every  infirmity,  among  the  people. 

24.  And  his  fame  went  throughout  all  Syria,  and  they  presented  to  him  all 
sick  people  that  were  taken  with  divers  diseases  and  torments,  and  such  as 
were  possessed  by  devils,  and  lunatics,  and  those  that  had  the  palsy,  and  he 
cured  them : 

out  of  friendship,  but  now  they  were  called  to  be  His  constant 
Apostles. 

23.  And  Jesus  went  about,  .  .  .  healing  all  manner  of  sick- 
ness; i.e.,  our  Lord  who  had  come  to  save  all,  did  not  confine  His 
preaching  to  any  one  place,  but  went  about  everywhere  preaching 
and  relieving  the  miseries  of  the  people,  and  performing  miracles 
to  prove  the  divinity  of  His  mission  and  of  His  doctrine. 

Synagogues.  Synagogue  means  a  meeting-house,  a  place  of 
assembly.  It  first  became  a  place  of  ordinary  use  for  prayer  dur- 
ing the  Babylonian  captivity,  when  the  Jews  were  unable  to  visit 
the  Temple.  Every  village  had  at  least  one  synagogue,  which  was 
built  on  an  eminence  and  pointed  toward  Jerusalem.  At  the  front, 
or  eastern  end,  was  the  Ark,  containing  the  Books  of  the  Law  and 
the  Prophets.  Near  this  place,  which  was  screened  off  by  a  curtain, 
were  the  "  chief  seats."  Toward  the  middle  was  a  pulpit,  from 
which  lessons  were  read  and  exhortations  given  to  the  people.  The 
principal  days  of  service  were  Mondays,  Thursdays  and  Sabbaths. 
The  service  consisted  of  lessons  read  from  Moses  and  the  Prophets, 
prayer  and  exhortation.  Anyone  might  be  invited  to  read  the  les- 
sons, and  any  Israelite  instructed  in  the  Law  might  be  asked  to 
exhort.  Each  synagogue  had  its  chief  rabbi,  and,  as  a  rule,  a 
deacon  and  council  of  elders  also. 

24.  Throughout  all  Syria.  Syria  was  a  very  extensive  region 
stretching  from  the  Mediterranean  on  the  west  to  the  Euphrates  on 
the  east,  and  from  Egypt  on  the  south  to  Cilicia  on  the  north. 

And  such  as  were  possessed  by  devils.  There  is  no  account 
of  possession  by  devils  given  in  the  Old  Testament,  but  as  far  as 
we  know  from  the  Gospels  this  was  very  common  at  the  time  of 
our  Lord.  The  reason  for  this  may  be  that  the  evil  spirits  were 
making  special  effort  just  before  their  overthrow;  or  that  Al- 
mighty God  so  permitted  this  evil  in  order  the  better  to  show  His 
power  in  His  Son. 


28  ST.  MATTHEW  IV,  25;  V,  1 

25.  And  much  people  followed  him  from  Galilee,  and  from  Decapolis,  and 
from  Jerusalem,  and  from  Judea,  and  from  beyond  the  Jordan. 

Possession  by  the  devil  means  that  an  evil  spirit  has  entered  into 
the  body  of  a  person  and  makes  use  of  it  as  his  instrument.  Pos- 
session was  often  accompanied  by  extreme  physical  and  mental 
suffering,  such  as  blindness  (xii.  22),  dumbness  (ix.  32),  insanity 
(xvii.  14),  epilepsy  (Mark  ix.  16-26),  etc.  Here  and  elsewhere 
the  Evangelists  clearly  distinguish  between  ordinary  diseases  and 
possession.     Cf.  Mark  i.  32;  vii.  32;  Luke  vi.  17,  18. 

Those  modern  writers  are,  therefore,  in  error  who  maintain  that 
there  is  no  difference  between  ordinary  maladies  and  the  posses- 
sion spoken  of  in  the  Gospels. 

25.  From  Decapolis.  Decapolis  was  a  group  of  ten  confeder- 
ated cities  extending  from  Philadelphia  on  the  south  to  Damascus 
on  the  north.  Scythopolis  alone  was  west  of  the  Jordan  ;  the  others 
were  east  of  the  river. 


CHAPTER  V 

The   Sermon   on    the   Mount  —  the   Beatitudes, 

1-12. 
The  Importance  of  the  Apostolate,   13-16. 
The  New  Law  completes  the  Old,  17-48. 

I.  And  seeing  the  multitudes,  he  went  up  into  a  mountain,  and  when  he  was 
set  down,  his  disciples  came  unto  him. 

It  is  a  question  whether  St.  Matthew  here  and  St.  Luke  (vi. 
20-49)  ^^^  giving  the  same  identical  discourse.  It  is  possible  that 
our  Lord  may  have  repeated  the  same  discourse  more  than  once, 
but  it  is  probable  that  St.  Matthew  is  only  giving  with  more  detail 
and  greater  development  that  of  which  St.  Luke  has  preserved  for 
us  only  an  abridgment.  The  differences  may  all  be  explained  by 
saying  that  one  omits  what  he  knows  the  other  has. 

Our  Lord  spent  the  night  in  prayer  and  on  the  morrow  chose 
His  twelve  Apostles.  To  them  and  to  the  multitude  that  had 
gathered  a  little  further  down  the  hill.  He  immediately  delivered 
the  Sermon  on  the  INIount.     Cf.  vi.   12-17. 


ST.  MATTHEW  V,  2-6  29 

2.  And  opening  his  mouth,  he  taught  them,  saying : 

3.  Blessed  are  tiic  poor  in  spirit:  for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

4.  Blessed  are  the  meek :  for  they  shall  possess  the  land. 

5.  Blessed  are  they  that  mourn :  for  they  shall  be  comforted. 

6.  Blessed  are  they  that  hunger  and  thirst  after  justice :  for  they  shall  have 
their  fill. 


A  mountain,  which  was  probably  that  called  the  Horns  of 
Hattin,  about  two  hours'  distance  from  Tiberias. 

2.  And  opening  his  mouth.  Hitherto  our  Lord  had  spoken  by 
the  mouth  of  His  prophets  and  by  the  silent  voice  of  His  own 
miracles;  but  now  He  has  determined  to  give  personal  utterance 
to  His  teachings.  The  Sermon  on  the  Mount  is  an  exposition 
of  our  Lord's  ideas  of  happiness,  wisdom  and  justice.  Its  aim 
throughout  is  to  show  the  contrast  between  the  principles  of  His 
kingdom  and  the  principles  which  prevail  in  the  world  and  in  an 
imperfect  and  degenerate  Judaism,  It  may  be  divided  in  three 
parts:  (a)  Jesus  promises  happiness  to  those  whom  He  calls; 
(b)  He  prescribes  justice  to  those  who  come;  (c)  and  He  recom- 
mends wisdom  to  those  who  remain  with  Him   (Le  Camus). 

3.  Blessed;  i.e.,  happy. 

Poor  in  spirit;  i.e.,  those  who  are  not  attached  to  riches  or  to 
the  goods  of  this  world,  either  by  desire  or  by  actual  possession. 
It  is,  in  particular,  detachment  from  earthly  goods  that  makes  one 
blessed. 

4.  Meek;  i.e.,  those  who  for  Christ's  sake  willingly  and  patiently 
endure  the  evils  and  hardships  of  life.  By  "  the  meek  "  we  are 
not  to  understand  lifeless  and  colorless  characters ;  but  those  who, 
possessed  of  real  character  and  vigor,  meekly  control  themselves 
for  the  sake  of  Christ,  and  out  of  imitation  of  Him. 

Shall  possess  the  land.  This  is  commonly  understood,  after 
St.  Jerome,  to  refer  to  the  new  heaven  and  the  new  earth,  which 
the  meek  shall  possess. 

5.  Mourn;  i.e.,  those  who  grieve  for  their  own  and  for  others' 
offences,  out  of  love  of  God.  are  blessed,  happy. 

6.  Hunger  and  thirst,  etc. ;  i.e.,  happy  are  those  who  are  sub- 
jected to  real  hunger  and  thirst,  because  justice  is  not  done  them, 
but  who  nevertheless  patiently  bear  the  wrong  done  them  for  God's 
sake. 


30  ST.  MATTHEW  V,  7-13 

7.  Blessed  are  the  merciful :  for  they  shall  obtain  mercy. 

8.  Blessed  are  the  clean  of  heart :  for  they  shall  see  God. 

9.  Blessed  are  the  peacemakers:  for  they  shall  be  called  the  children  of 
God. 

10.  Blessed  are  they  that  suffer  persecution  for  justice'  sake :  for  theirs  is 
the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

11.  Blessed  are  ye  when  they  shall  revile  you,  and  persecute  you,  and  speak 
all  that  is  evil  against  you,  untruly,  for  my  sake : 

12.  Be  glad  and  rejoice,  for  your  reward  is  very  great  in  heaven.  For  so 
they  persecuted  the  prophets  that  were  before  you. 

13.  You  are  the  salt  of  the  earth.  But  if  the  salt  lose  its  savour,  wherewith 
shall  it  be  salted  ?  It  is  good  for  nothing  any  more  but  to  be  cast  out,  and  to 
be  trodden  on  by  men. 

^  7,  Merciful ;  i.e.,  happy  are  those  who  try  to  alleviate  the  miseries 
of  others,  who  charitably  overlook  and  forgive  the  sins  and  mis- 
takes of  others;  as  they  really  forgive  others,  so  shall  they  be 
forgiven. 

8.  Clean  of  heart;  i.e.,  happy  are  those  who  observe  not  only 
purity  and  chastity  of  body,  but  general  purity  and  simplicity  of 
conscience.  It  is  certain  that  chastity  of  life  will  not  only  have 
an  unspeakable  reward  hereafter,  but  that  it  leads  to  clearness  of 
vision  here  below,  in  things  purely  natural,  and  especially  in  things 
supernatural. 

9.  Peacemakers ;  i.e.,  those  who  strive  to  reconcile  the  differences 
between  others. 

10.  For  justice'  sake;  i.e.,  happy  are  those  who  are  persecuted 
on  account  of  their  faithfulness  to  the  law  of  God  and  to  their 
own  duty.  It  is  to  be  noted  that  throughout  the  beatitudes  our  Lord 
is  continually  raising  our  minds  to  the  things  of  Heaven ;  we  are  not 
to  expect  temporal  rewards  for  doing  what  He  has  enjoined;  we 
are  to  look  for  our  recompense  hereafter, 

11.  Untruly.  Our  Lord  promises  no  blessedness,  no  beatitude 
to  those  who  deserve  persecution  and  reviling;  it  is  only  to  those 
who  are  unjustly  so  treated. 

12.  Be  glad.  Those  who  suffer  for  the  sake  of  Christ  have 
every  reason  to  rejoice  because  of  the  reward  awaiiiing  them 
hereafter. 

13.  You  are  the  salt  of  the  earth.  Salt  is  the  symbol  of  wis- 
dom ;  its  property  is  twofold :  to  impart  a  flavor,  and  to  preserve 
from  corruption.     The  Apostles  whom  our  Lord  was  addressing 


ST.  MATTHEW  V,  14-19  31 

14.  You  are  the  light  of  the  world.  A  city  seated  on  a  mountain  cannot  be 
hid. 

15.  Neither  do  men  light  a  candle  and  put  it  under  a  bushel,  but  upon  a 
candlestick,  that  it  may  shine  to  all  that  are  in  the  house. 

16.  So  let  your  light  shine  before  men,  that  they  may  see  your  good  works, 
and  glorify  your  Father  who  is  in  heaven. 

17.  Do  not  think  that  I  am  come  to  destroy  the  law,  or  the  prophets.  I  am 
not  come  to  destroy,  but  to  fulfil. 

18.  For  amen  I  say  unto  you,  till  heaven  and  earth  pass,  one  jot,  or  one 
tittle  shall  not  pass  of  the  law,  till  all  be  fulfilled. 

19.  He  therefore  that  shall  break  one  of  these  least  commandments,  and 
shall  so  teach  men,  shall  be  called  the  least  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  But  he 
that  shall  do  and  teach,  he  shall  be  called  great  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

were  to  carry  His  teachings  into  the  world,  to  give  Hfe  and  strength, 
and  to  preserve  the  people  from  their  sins  and  from  spiritual  death. 
But  if,  by  disorderly  lives  and  bad  example,  they  should  become 
false  teachers  and  false  guides,  what  would  remain  to  enlighten 
them  and  save  the  people  of  God  from  corruption  and  death? 

14.  You  are  the  light  of  the  v^rorld;  i.e.,  to  you  is  committed 
the  office  of  carrying  the  light  of  the  Gospel  to  all  the  world. 

15.  Here  our  Lord  repeats  the  mission  of  His  Apostles,  which 
is  to  teach,  instruct  and  guide  the  faithful,  by  their  doctrine  and 
example,  to  life  eternal. 

16.  So  let  your  light  shine,  etc.  Our  Lord  would  have  His 
Apostles  and  ministers  use  the  talents  given  them,  and  make  their 
own  life  and  example  correspond  with  their  preaching,  for  the 
salvation  of  men's  souls  and  for  the  honor  and  glory  of  God.  He 
would  not  have  them  perform  good  works  to  be  seen  of  men,  as 
did  the  Pharisees,  but  only  for  the  greater  honor  and  glory  of  His 
Father. 

\y.  Law  and  prophets.  By  the  "  law  "  is  here  meant  the  five 
hooks  of  Moses,  and  by  the  ''  prophets  "  the  other  books  of  the 
Old  Testament.  Our  Lord  would  have  His  hearers  understand 
that  the  doctrine  which  He  is  teaching,  and  about  to  teach,  does 
not  in  any  way  change  or  destroy  the  Law  of  Moses  and  the 
Prophets;  it  is  only  a  fulfilling  and  a  perfecting  of  these. 

18.  Till  heaven  and  earth  pass;  i.e.,  never  shall  the  smallest  part 
of  the  Law  go  without  its  due  fulfillment. 

19.  Least  commandments;  i.e.,  he  who  shall  violate  one  of  the 
smallest   commandments   which   T  am  about  to  give  will  be  con- 


32  ST.  MATTHEW  V,  20-22 

20.  For  I  tell  you,  that  unless  your  justice  abound  more  than  that  of  the 
scribes  and  Pharisees,  you  shall  not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

21.  You  have  heard  that  it  was  said  to  them  of  old:  Thou  shalt  not  kill. 
And  whosoever  shall  kill  shall  be  in  danger  of  the  judgment. 

22.  But  I  say  to  you,  that  whosoever  is  angry  with  his  brother,  shall  be  in 
danger  of  the  judgment.  And  whosoever  shall  say  to  his  brother,  Raca,  shall 
be  in  danger  of  the  council.  And  whosoever  shall  say,  Thou  fool,  shall  be  in 
danger  of  hell  fire. 

sidered  the  "  least,"  i.e.,  will  be  actually  excluded  from  the  king- 
dom of  heaven ;  or,  if  saved,  "  yet  so  as  by  fire  "  (i  Cor.  iii.  15). 

Shall  be  called  great;  i.e.,  he  who  shall  observe  not  only  the 
"  least,",  but  all  of  My  commandments,  shall  save  his  soul,  and 
.shall  have  a  great  reward. 

20.  Justice  refers  to  the  keeping  of  the  law  in  general. 

Scribes  and  Pharisees.  These  were  very  zealous  about  the  ex- 
ternal fulfillment  of  the  law,  and  about  external  behavior ;  but 
in  our  Lord's  time  they  had  become  so  degenerate  that  they  cared 
nothing  for  the  interior  man,  for  the  acts  of  the  will,  feelings,  de- 
sires, etc.,  and  thus  also  did  they  teach  others.  Not  only  the  letter, 
but  the  interior  meaning  and  spirit  of  the  New  Law  must  be  ob- 
served, says  our  Lord. 

21.  Our  Lord  now  begins  to  show  that  the  Old  Law  still  remains, 
but  that  it  is  to  be  perfected  by  the  added  counsels  of  the  New 
Law,  and  by  a  clearer  understanding  of  the  precepts  of  the  natural 
law  already  existing. 

You  have  heard,  etc. ;  i.e.  it  was  enjoined  upon  your  forefathers, 
by  the  Law  of  Moses,  etc. 

In  danger  of  the  judgment;  i.e.,  shall  be  liable  to  capital  punish- 
ment. There  were  three  tribunals  of  justice  among  the  Jews:  the 
first,  whose  duty  was  to  treat  trivial  cases,  such  as  rapine,  theft, 
and  the  like,  consisted  of  three  judges;  the  second,  composed  of 
twenty-three  judges  and  called  the  "  Judgment,"  had  to  deal  with 
more  serious,  and  even  criminal  cases ;  the  third,  called  the  Sanhe- 
drim, was  composed  of  seventy-two  judges,  and  its  office  embraced 
the  larger  public  interests  of  religion  and  of  the  state.  The  mem- 
bers of  the  first  two  tribunals  were  appointed  by  the  Sanhedrim 
(Edersheim,  vol.  ii.  b.  v.  c.  xiii.). 

22.  But  I  say  to  you.  The  Scribes  and  Pharisees  regarded  the 
precept  "  not  to  kill  "  as  affecting  only  external  acts,  and  so  they 


ST.  MATTHEW  V,  23-28  33 

23.  If  therefore  thou  offer  thy  gift  at  the  altar,  and  there  thou  remember 
that  thy  brother  hath  any  thing  against  thee ; 

24.  Leave  there  thy  offering  before  the  altar,  and  go  first  to  be  reconciled 
to  thy  brother:  and  then  coming  thou  shalt  offer  thy  gift. 

25.  Be  at  agreement  with  thy  adversary  betimes,  whilst  thou  art  in  the  way 
with  him:  lest  perhaps  the  adversary  deliver  thee  to  the  judge,  and  the  judge 
deliver  thee  to  the  officer,  and  thou  be  cast  into  prison. 

26.  Amen  I  say  to  thee,  thou  shalt  not  go  out  from  thence  till  thou  repay 
the  last  farthing. 

27.  You  have  heard  that  it  was  said  to  them  of  old :  Thou  shalt  not  com- 
mit adultery. 

28.  But  I  say  to  you,  that  whosoever  shall  look  on  a  woman  to  lust  after 
her,  hath  already  committed  adultery  with  her  in  his  heart. 

taught  Others.  Our  Lord  here  corrects  this  teaching-,  and  warns 
His  hearers  that  serious  anger,  without  cause,  is  a  grievous  sin. 
Anger  becomes  a  mortal  sin  only  when  willfully  and  .excessively 
indulged,  and  exercised  in  the  way  of  unlawful  vengeance. 

Raca  means  a  contemptible,  foolish,  or  '*  empty-headed  "  fellow. 

Fool  implies  a  charge  of  irreligion,  and  hence  was  wont  to 
signify  among  the  Jews  an  atheist,  an  apostate,  etc. 

23,  24.  To  offer  sacrifice  is  an  act  most  agreeable  to  God ;  but 
our  Lord  here  reminds  us  that  if  we  have  unjustly  offended  our 
neighbor  by  anger,  by  calling  him  Raca,  fool,  and  the  like,  it  is  our 
duty  to  try  to  become  reconciled  with  him  before  performing  that 
act  which  is  most  pleasing  to  God.  When  we  are  the  offending 
party  we  are  obliged  to  seek  to  rectify  matters  in  so  far  as  pru- 
dence and  circumstances  allow.  But  if  we  are  the  offended  party, 
all  that  is  required  of  us  is  to  forgive  the  offender  from  our  heart, 
and  be  willing  to  accept  the  explanation  which  he  offers. 

25.  In  the  way;  i.e.,  while  still  in  this  life.  Our  Lord  here 
admonishes  us  that  if  we  be  at  variance  with  our  neighbor  we 
must  endeavor  to  become  reconciled  with  him  before  death,  lest 
we  appear  before  the  judgment  seat  of  God  with  our  sin  unforgiven. 

26.  Last  farthing  means,  in  the  case  of  grievous  sin,  eternal 
punishment,  —  a  debt  that  shall  never  be  paid ;  in  the  case  of  venial 
sin,  the  fires  of  purgatory,  which  will  last  until  all  guilt  is  purged 
from  the  soul. 

27.  Adultery.  Under  this  term  are  embraced  all  external  carnal 
acts  of  unlawful  intercourse. 

28.  Here  our  Lord,  again  correcting  the  teaching  of  the  Phari- 


34  ST.  MATTHEW  V,  29-31 

29.  And  if  thy  right  eye  scandalize  thee,  pluck  it  out  and  cast  it  from  thee. 
For  it  is  expedient  for  thee  that  one  of  thy  members  should  perish,  rather  than 
that  thy  whole  body  be  cast  into  hell. 

30.  And  if  thy  right  hand  scandalize  thee,  cut  it  off,  and  cast  it  from  thee: 
for  it  is  expedient  for  thee  that  one  of  thy  members  should  perish,  rather  than 
that  thy  whole  body  go  into  hell. 

31.  And  it  hath  been  said,  Whosoever  shall  put  away  his  wife,  let  him  give 
her  a  bill  of  divorce. 

sees,  condemns  internal  sins.  The  complete  internal  sin,  accord- 
ing to  St.  Thomas,  is  not  specifically  distinct  or  different  from 
the  external  sin.  The  external  act  adds  increased  malice  to  the 
internal  sin,  by  intensifying  it,  by  prolonging  it,  often  by  giving 
scandal,  and  by  increasing  the  number  of  internal  acts ;  but  it  does 
not  change  the  species  or  nature  of  the  internal  sin. 

29,  30.  Right  eye  —  right  hand  convey  the  idea  of  something 
very  dear  and  highly  useful;  but  if  these  should  "scandalize," 
i.e.,  become  the  source  of  serious  sin  which  cannot  otherwise  be 
removed,  they  are  to  be  destroyed,  just  as  a  corrupting  physical 
member  is  to  be  amputated  rather  than  that  the  whole  body  should 
perish.  Ordinarily,  however,  this  passage  is  not  to  be  understood 
literally. 

Hell;  i.e.,  gehenna  {ykevva),  which  is  nothing  else  than  the 
Hebrew  Ghe-Hinnom,  "  the  valley  of  Hinnom,"  where  the  faith- 
less Jews  used  to  sacrifice  their  children  by  burning  them  in  honor 
of  the  idol,  Moloch  (4  Kings  xxiii.  10).  After  the  captivity  the 
place  was  used  as  a  dumping  ground  for  refuse,  and  for  the  bodies 
of  dead  animals  and  criminals,  to  consume  which  a  fire  was  kept 
burning  there.  This  place  was  a  figure  of  hell,  the  abode  of  damned 
souls,  and  hence  hell  was  also  called  gehenna. 

31.  The  right  to  divorce,  or  to  put  away  one's  wife  was  only 
permitted  in  the  Old  Law ;  but  should  a  man  put  away  his  wife 
he  was  obliged  to  give  her  a  bill  of  divorce,  which  made  their 
separation  lawful.  Divorce  was  absolutely  forbidden  at  the  crea- 
tion, but  later  on,  owing  to  a  degenerate  state  of  society  and  the 
hardness  of  men's  hearts,  the  Law  of  Moses  permitted  the  mar- 
riage tie  to  be  dissolved.  The  sole  cause,  however,  justifying  this 
step  was  uncleflnness  of  some  kind  (Deut.  xxiv.  i).  In  the  time 
of  our  Lord  the  Jewish  doctors,  following  the  schools  of  Hillel  and 
Shammai,  were  greatly  divided  as  to  what  was  required  as  a  suffi- 


ST.  MATTHEW  V,  32,   33  35 

^2.  But  I  say  to  you,  that  whosoever  shall  put  away  his  wife,  excepting  for 
the  cause  of  fornication,  maketh  her  to  commit  adultery :  and  he  that  shall 
marry  her  that  is  put  away,  committeth  adultery. 

3;i.  Again  you  have  heard  that  it  was  said  to  them  of  old,  Thou  shalt  not 
forswear  thyself  :  but  thou  shalt  perform  thy  oaths  to  the  Lord. 

cient  cause  for  divorce.  The  school  of  Hillel  held  that  any  cause, 
however  trifling,  was  sufficient ;  while  that  of  Shammai  taught  that 
adultery  alone  justified. 

The  privilege  of  divorce  was  originally  conceded  to  the  hu.sband 
alone,  but  later  Jewish  women  of  the  higher  class  also  claimed  a 
right  to  it,  which,  however,  they  were  obliged  to  seek  from  the 
judge.  The  effect  of  this  divorce  of  the  Old  Law  was  to  dissolve 
the  marriage  tie,  so  as  to  permit  the  parties  to  re-marry.  The  hus- 
band could  take  back,  if  he  chose,  his  divorced  wife,  provided  she 
was  not  already  married  to  another. 

32.  Our  Lord  here  abolishes  the  law  of  divorce  permitted  by  the 
Mosaic  Law,  and  asserts  that  whoever  puts  away  his  wife  without 
sufficient  cause  becomes  guilty  of  the  adultery  which  the  one  put 
away  may  commit.  It  is  de  fide  from  the  Council  of  Trent  that 
no  consummated  marriage  between  Christians  can  be  dissolved 
quoad  vinculum  (Sess.  xxiv.  can.  xii).  Only  fornication  or  adul- 
tery is  here  given  by  our  Lord  as  a  sufficient  reason  for  separa- 
tion, perhaps  because  it  is  the  chief  reason  intrinsic  to  the  mar- 
riage state  for  which  one  would  be  justified  in  putting  away  his 
spouse.  There  are  other  causes,  however,  permitting  married 
Christians  to  separate ;  e.g.,  serious  danger  to  spiritual  or  temporal 
welfare,  constant  disagreement,  etc. ;  but  these,  as  already  said, 
cannot  dissolve  the  consummated  marriage  of  Christians  quoad 
vinculum. 

He  that  shall  marry,  etc.,  committeth  adultery.  This  shows 
that  whether  the  cause  for  separation  be  just  or  unjust,  anyone 
who  marries  the  separated  party  commits  adultery. 

33.  Our  Lord  is  here  referring  to  the  Second  Commandment, 
and  He  condemns  false  oaths  (cf.  Lev.  xix.  12),  and  reminds  us 
that  we  should  fulfill  the  promissory  oaths  we  have  made  to  God. 
Cf.  Num.  XXX.  3.  The  citation  here  is  not  literal,  but  is  an  abbre- 
viation of  various  texts.  (Exod.  xx.  7;  Lev.  xix.  12;  Deut.  v.  11  : 
xxiii.  21). 


36  ST.  MATTHEW  V,  34-42 

34.  But  1  say  to  you  not  to  swear  at  all,  neither  by  heaven,  for  it  is  the 
throne  of  God : 

35.  Nor  by  the  earth,  for  it  is  his  footstool :  nor  by  Jerusalem,  for  it  is  the 
city  of  the  great  king : 

36.  Neither  shalt  thou  swear  by  thy  head,  because  thou  canst  not  make  one 
hair  white  or  black. 

i1.  But  let  your  speech  be  yea,  yea :  no,  no  :  and  that  which  is  over  and 
above  these,  is  of  evil. 

38.  You  have  heard  that  it  hath  been  said,  An  eye  for  an  eye,  and  a  tooth 
for  a  tooth. 

39.  But  I  say  to  you  not  to  resist  evil :  but  if  one  strike  thee  on  thy  right 
cheek,  turn  to  him  also  the  other : 

40.  And  if  a  man  will  contend  with  thee  in  judgment,  and  take  away  thy 
coat,  let  go  thy  cloak  also  unto  him. 

41.  And  whosoever  will  force  thee  one  mile,  go  with  him  other  two. 

42.  Give  to  him  that  asketh  of  thee,  and  from  him  that  would  borrow  of 
thee  turn  not  away. 

34-36.  In  these  verses  we  are  forbidden  to  invoke  God's  Holy 
Name  rashly  and  without  grave  necessity.  Neither  are  we  to  swear 
by  any  of  God's  creatures,  as  the  Pharisees  had  falsely  taught; 
nor  are  we  to  call  down  destruction  upon  our  own  heads  for  any 
cause  whatsoever,  because  our  heads,  like  all  our  members,  were 
given  us  for  use,  and  they  are  not  ours  to  destroy. 

37.  Yea,  yea,  etc. ;  i.e.,  we  must  be  content  with  simple  asser- 
tions, or  simple  denials,  as  the  case  may  be,  without  resorting  to 
unnecessary  oaths. 

Is  of  evil;  i.e.,  from  the  devil,  or  perhaps  from  our  own  evil 
inclinations. 

38.  In  this  verse  our  Lord  refers  to  the  law  of  retaliation  which 
was  laid  down  in  the  Old  Testament  (Exod.  xxi.  24;  Lev.  xxiv. 
20).  This  was  a  just  law,  and  had  the  effect  of  lessening  crime; 
but  it  was  to  be  exercised  only  by  public  authority,  and  not  between 
private  individuals,  as  the  Pharisees  taught. 

39-41.  Here  our  Lord  commands  us  not  to  resist  evil-doers 
more  than  our  office,  or  the  honor  of  God  and  the  good  of  our 
neighbor  demand.  Rather  than  seriously  offend  charity  and  lose 
our  peace  of  mind,  we  must  be  willing  to  forfeit  some  of  our  pos- 
sessions and  to  incur  not  a  little  inconvenience. 

42.  In  this  verse  our  Lord  commands  that  we  should  be  willing 
to  assist  our  neighbor,  whether  he  has  offended  us  or  not,  in  so 
far  as  we  are  able. 


ST.  MATTHEW  V,  43-48  37 

43.  You  have  heard  that  it  hath  been  said,  Thou  shalt  love  tliy  neighbour, 
and  hate  thy  enemy. 

44.  But  I  say  to  you,  Love  your  enemies :  do  good  to  them  that  hate  you : 
and  pray  for  them  that  persecute  and  calumniate  you : 

45.  That  you  may  be  the  children  of  your  Father  who  is  in  heaven,  who 
maketh  his  sun  to  rise  upon  the  good,  and  bad,  and  raineth  upon  the  just  and 
the  unjust. 

46.  For  if  you  love  them  that  love  you,  what  reward  shall  you  have?  do 
not  even  the  publicans  this? 

47.  And  if  you  salute  your  brethren  only,  what  do  you  more?  do  not  also 
the  heathens  this? 

48.  Be  you  therefore  perfect,  as  also  your  heavenly  Father  is  perfect. 

43,  44.  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor,  etc.  The  Hebrew  word 
for  neighbor,  Rcagh,  also  signifies  friend.  From  this  the  Phari- 
sees falsely  concluded  and  taught  that  as  v/e  should  love  our  friends, 
so  we  should  hate  our  enemies.  The  words,  "  And  hate  thy  enemy," 
are  nowhere  to  be  found  in  the  Scriptures ;  hence  our  Lord  is  here 
referring  to  the  false  additions  to  the  Law  made  by  the  Pharisees. 

But  I  say  to  you,  etc. ;  i.e.,  I  command  you  to  love  your  enemies, 
and  to  be  ready  to  perform  towards  them  the  offices  of  charity. 

45,  46.  Our  Lord  here  gives  us  two  motives  for  showing  charity 
to  otir  enemies ;  the  first  is,  that  by  so  doing  we  become  His  own 
beloved  children  and  shall  have  a  reward  from  Him ;  the  second 
is,  that  by  charity  we  are  lifted  above  the  condition  of  the 
Publicans. 

The  Publicans  were  tax  gatherers  for  the  Romans  and  mer- 
ciless oppressors  of  the  poor ;  they  were  consequently  regarded  by 
the  Jews  as  a  type  of  all  that  was  bad.  The  Publicans,  in  reality, 
were  wealthy  Romans  who  dealt  directly  with  the  Roman  govern- 
ment, but  employed  Jews  of  the  lower  class  as  agents  to  gather 
the  taxes  from  the  people.  It  is  these  Jewish  agents  wlio  are  re- 
ferred to  in  the  Gospel,  and  who,  on  account  of  their  office  and 
personal,  merciless  dishonesty,  were  held  in  supreme  contempt  by 
all  patriotic  Jews. 

47.  Salute.  If  we  show  signs  of  afifection  and  friendship  only 
to  our  friends  and  to  those  joined  to  us  by  the  ties  of  blood,  we 
are  not  above  the  condition  of  the  heathens,  for  they  also  do  these 
things. 

48.  Perfect.  The  perfection  to  which  we  are  here  invited  refers 
chiefly  to  tlic  virtues  of  mercy  and  charity,  and,  therefore,  to  the 


38  ST.  MATTHEW  VI,  1,  2 

whole  law.  We  are  God's  chosen  children  and  are  blessed  .with 
His  special  gifts  of  faith  and  grace,  hence  we  must  show  in  our 
lives  more  than  the  heathens  who  have  not  received  these  gifts. 


CHAPTER  VI 

The  Right  Intention  in  Giving  Alms,  in  Pray- 
ing, AND  IN  Fasting,  i-i8. 
Avoidance  of  Worldly  Solicitude,  19-34. 

1.  Take  heed  that  you  do  not  your  justice  before  men,  to  be  seen  by  them  : 
otherwise  you  shall  not  have  a  reward  of  your  Father  who  is  in  heaven. 

2.  Therefore  when  thou  dost  an  alms-deed,  sound  not  a  trumpet  before  thee, 
as  the  hypocrites  do  in  the  synagogues  and  in  the  streets,  that  they  may  be 
honoured  by  men.    Amen  I  say  to  you,  they  have  received  their  reward. 

After  condemning  the  teaching  of  the  Pharisees  our  Saviour 
now  proceeds  to  show  us  how  far  our  own  motives  should  excel 
the  motives  by  which  they  were  actuated.  This  chapter  is  most 
probably  a  continuation  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  although 
none  of  it  is  found  in  St.  Luke's  Sermon  on  the  Plain ;  some  think 
it  is  a  collection  of  parts  of  other  discourses  which  our  Lord  de- 
livered at  different  times. 

1.  Justice.  As  said  above,  this  is  a  general  term,  used  to  signify 
the  observance  of  the  whole  law.  Our  Saviour  wishes  to  teach 
us  to  avoid  all  vain  glory  and  pride  in  the  performance  of  our 
various  good  works,  otherwise  we  lose  the  reward  in  Heaven 
merited  by  these  good  works. 

2.  Alms-deed.  All  our  good  works  may  be  classified  under  three 
heads :  (a)  those  referring  chiefly  to  the  special  worship  of  God, 
signified  by  "prayer";  (b)  those  which  relate  to  our  neighbor, 
signified  by  "alms-deeds";  (c)  those  which  pertain  to  our  own 
sanctification,  signified  by  "  fasting." 

Hypocrites.  A  hypocrite  in  Greek  means  an  actor,  i.e.,  one 
whose  external  actions  are  out  of  harmony  with  his  own  character. 
Our  Saviour  admonishes  us  concerning  the  necessity  of  sincerity 
and  of  avoiding  unnecessary  publicity  in  the  performance  of  good 
deeds. 


ST.  MATTHEW  VI,  3-9  39 

3.  But  when  thou  dost  alms,  let  not  thy  left  hand  know  what  thy  right  hand 
doth. 

4.  That  thy  alms  may  be  in  secret,  and  thy  Father  who  seeth  in  secret  will 
repay  thee. 

5.  And  when  ye  pray,  you  shall  not  be  as  the  hypocrites,  that  love  to  stand 
and  pray  in  the  synagogues  and  corners  of  the  streets,  that  they  may  be  seen 
by  men :  Amen  I  say  to  you,  they  have  received  their  reward. 

6.  But  thou  when  thou  shalt  pray,  enter  into  thy  chamber,  and  having  shut 
the  door,  pray  to  thy  Father  in  secret :  and  thy  Father  who  seeth  in  secret  will 
repay  thee. 

7.  And  when  you  are  praying,  speak  not  much,  as  the  heathens.  For  they 
think  that  in  their  much  speaking  they  may  be  heard. 

8.  Be  not  you  therefore  like  to  them,  for  your  Father  knoweth  what  is 
needful  for  you,  before  you  ask  him. 

9.  Thus  therefore  shall  you  pray :  Our  Father  who  art  in  heaven,  hallowed 
be  thy  name. 

3,  4.  Our  Lord  here  inculcates  the  necessity  of  performing  our 
works  of  charity  for  His  sake  only;  He  scrutinizes  the  heart,  and 
on  the  last  day  He  will  make  public  all  our  good  works  and  render 
to  us  an  eternal  reward. 

5,  6.  There  is  reference  here  to  private  prayers,  and  not  to  de- 
votions performed  in  public,  as  in  church;  but  even  when  our 
prayers  are  said  in  church  we  are  to  close  the  door  of  our  hearts 
to  all  external  things ;  in  other  words,  in  performing  our  devotions 
we  are  to  guard  against  all  undue  publicity  and  ostentation. 

7.  Speak  not  much.  These  words  convey  no  condemnation  of 
frequent  or  repeated  prayers,  such  as  performed  in  our  rosaries, 
litanies,  and  the  like,  for  our  Lord  Himself  gave  us  the  example 
of  repeating  the  same  prayer  in  His  agony,  and  of  passing  whole 
nights  in  prayer  (Luke  xviii.  i;  i  Thess.  v.  17;  Coloss.  iv.  2). 
What  our  Lord  here  condemns  is  the  senseless  repetition  of  the 
same  word,  and  the  vain,  foolish  and  rhetorical  language  of  the 
heathens,  who  thought  in  this  wise  to  instruct  the  deity  and  pro- 
voke an  answer  to  their  desires. 

8.  For  your  Father  knoweth  what  is  needful,  etc.  Although 
Almighty  God  knows  all  our  wants,  still  it  is  a  part  of  His  Provi- 
dence that  we  honor  Him  and  His  goodness  by  supplicating  Him 
for  those  things  which  we  need. 

9.  After  condemning  the  vain  ostentation  of  the  Pharisees  and 
the  false  methods  of  prayer  practised  by  the  heathens,  the  Saviour 
now  shows  us  in  a  positive  way  how  we  are  to  pray. 


40  ST.  MATTHEW  VI,  10-12 

10.  Thy  kingdom  come.    Thy  will  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  in  heaven. 

11.  Give  us  this  day  our  supersubstantial  bread. 

12.  And  forgive  us  our  debts,  as  we  also  forgive  our  debtors. 

If  the  "  Our  Father  "  here  given  by  St.  Matthew  was  a  part  of 
the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  and  that  recorded  by  St.  Luke  (xi.  1-4) 
was  deHvered  at  another  time  and  in  another  place,  it  is  easy  to 
understand  the  variations  between  the  two.  In  the  form  of  this 
prayer  given  us  by  St.  Matthew  there  are  six  petitions,  unless  we 
subdivide  the  last  one;  St.  Luke  has  only  five. 

Our  Father.  These  words  show  the  union  which  the  Incarna- 
tion had  estabhshed  between  God  and  His  creature  man.  Thence- 
forth we  are  to  regard  God  not  merely  as  our  Creator,  but  as  our 
loving  Father. 

Hallowed  be  thy  Name;  i.e.,  let  Thy  Holy  Name  be  glorified. 
This  is  the  first  petition  of  the  Our  Father,  that  the  name  of  God, 
which  is  holy  and  adorable,  be  ever  honored  and  glorified. 

10.  Thy  kingdom  come.  In  this  second  petition  of  the  Lord's 
prayer  we  pray  not  only  that  God  may  exercise  His  supreme  do- 
minion over  all  creatures,  but  especially  that  the  reign  of  His  grace 
may  be  set  up  in  the  hearts  and  lives  of  all  His  creatures. 

Thy  will  be  done,  etc.  This,  the  third  petition,  desires  that  the 
will  of  God,  as  expressed  in  His  law  and  precepts,  and  explained 
by  His  Church  and  lawful  ministers,  may  be  as  faithfully  obeyed 
by  His  children  on  earth  as  by  the  angels  and  Blessed  in  Heaven. 

11.  Give  us  this  day,  etc.  The  fourth  petition  requests,  through 
the  term  "  bread,"  the  daily  provision  of  all  things  necessary  to 
sustain  and  prolong  our  present  life.  All,  whether  rich  or  poor, 
have  need  of  this  daily  assistance,  for  there  is  no  security  in  earthly 
possessions.  The  Greek  word  for  daily,  eTLovcnov,  is  translated  by 
St.  Jerome,  supersitbstantialis ;  which  means  excellent  above  all  sub- 
stances. But  whether  the  translation  of  the  Greek  word  be  daily 
or  supersubstantial,  the  meaning  is  quite  the  same.  That  this 
petition  is  limited  to  each  twenty-four  hours  seems  evident  from 
the  command  of  our  Lord,  not  to  be  solicitous  for  the  morrow. 
See  on  Luke  xi.  3. 

12.  And  forgive  us  our  debts,  etc.  The  fifth  petition  begs  for 
the  forgiveness  of  sins,  since  it  is  chiefly  by  sin  that  we  are  in- 
debted to  the  justice  of  God. 


ST.  MATTHEW  VI,  13-16  41 

13.  And  lead  us  not  into  temptation.    But  deliver  us  from  evil.    Amen. 

14.  For  if  you  will  forgive  men  their  ofifences,  your  heavenly  Father  will 
forgive  you  also  your  ofifences. 

15.  But  if  you  will  not  forgive  men,  neither  will  your  Father  forgive  you 
your  ofifences. 

16.  And  when  you  fast,  be  not  as  the  hypocrites,  sad.  For  they  disfigure 
their  faces,  that  they  may  appear  unto  men  to  fast.  Amen  I  say  to  you,  they 
have  received  their  reward. 

As  we  forgive,  etc. ;  i.e.,  as  we  ought  to  forgive  our  debts ; 
namely,  entirely  and  from  our  hearts. 

13.  And  lead  us  not  into  temptation.  Temptation  sometimes 
means  a  trial  or  test  of  fidelity,  sometimes  an  allurement  to  sin. 
God  is  often  the  author  of  the  first  (Gen.  xxii. ;  Deut.  xiii. ;  Ps. 
XXV.),  but  never  of  the  second.  This  sixth  petition  of  the  Our 
Father  has  reference  only  to  allurements  to  sin,  and  we  ask  God 
to  deliver  us  from  these,  or  at  least  to  prevent  us  by  His  grace 
from  consenting  or  yielding  to  sin. 

But  deliver  us  from  evil.  The  evil  here  meant  is  commonly 
understood  by  the  Greek  Fathers  to  be  the  devil,  or  evil  one  (ex 
Tov  TTovTjpov)  ;  but  most  likely  evil  is  here  a  neuter  noun,  and 
hence  refers  to  evils  in  general,  physical  or  spiritual,  temporal  or 
eternal. 

Amen  is  a  Hebrew  word  signifying,  at  the  end  of  a  sentence, 
consent  or  approval  of  what  has  preceded.  Literally,  when  used 
at  the  beginning  of  a  prayer,  it  means  surely,  in  truth.  In  some  few 
MSS.  the  Our  Father  terminates  with  these  words :  "  For  thine 
is  the  kingdom,  the  power,  and  the  glor>\"  But  only  one  of  these 
MSS.,  namely,  the  Peschito,  dates  beyond  the  fourth  century;  and 
none  of  the  ancient  Fathers  who  have  expounded  the  Lord's  Prayer 
have  attached  such  a  conclusion  to  it. 

14,  15.  Our  Lord  here  explains,  that  as  we  measure  to  others, 
so  will  He  measure  to  us. 

16.  As  our  Lord  condemned  ostentation  and  vain  glory  in  giving 
alms  and  saying  prayers,  so  now  He  warns  against  a  vain  show  of 
our  penances  and  acts  of  mortification.  But  one  fast  day  in  the 
year  was  obligatory  for  the  Jews  (Lev.  xvi.  29).  Out  of  devotion 
the  disciples  of  John  fasted  often  (Luke  v.  33),  and  the  Pharisees 
twice  a  week  (Luke  xviii.  12). 


42  ST.  MATTHEW  VI,  17-24 

17.  But  thou,  when  thou  fastest  anoint  thy  head,  and  wash  thy  face; 

18.  That  thou  appear  not  to  men  to  fast,  but  to  thy  Father  who  is  in  secret : 
and  thy  Father  whoseeth  in  secret,  will  repay  thee. 

19.  Lay  not  up  to  yourselves  treasures  on  earth :  where  the  rust,  and  moth 
consume,  and  where  thieves  break  through  and  steal. 

20.  But  lay  up  to  yourselves  treasures  in  heaven:  where  neither  the  rust 
nor  moth  doth  consume,  and  where  thieves  do  not  break  through,  nor  steal. 

21.  For  where  thy  treasure  is,  there  is  thy  heart  also. 

22.  The  light  of  thy  body  is  thy  eye.  If  thy  eye  be  single,  thy  whole  body 
shall  be  lightsome. 

23.  But  if  thy  eye  be  evil  thy  whole  body  shall  be  darksome.  If  then  the 
light  that  is  in  thee,  be  darkness :  the  darkness  itself  how  great  shall  it  be ! 

24.  No  man  can  serve  two  masters.  For  either  he  will  hate  the  one,  and 
love  the  other :  or  he  will  sustain  the  one,  and  despise  the  other.  You  cannot 
serve  God  and  mammon. 

17,  18.  Anoint  thy  head,  etc.  When  about  to  partake  of  a  feast 
the  Jews  were  accustomed  to  wash  their  faces  and  anoint  their 
heads  with  oil ;  to  this  practice  our  Lord  is  now  referring.  His 
words,  however,  are  to  be  taken  metaphorically,  and  signify  only 
that  we  are  to  avoid  ostentation  in  our  fastings,  etc. 

19,  20.  We  should  be  zealous  for  the  treasures  of  grace  and 
future  glory  in  Heaven,  but  not  for  the  fleeting  and  insecure  treas- 
ures of  earth,  as  the  Pharisees  were. 

21.  Although  free  and  rational  creatures,  we  are  chiefly  led  by 
our  attachments  and  affections,  and  hence  we  should  see  to  it  that 
the  objects  of  these  be  good. 

22,  2^.  If  thy  eye  be  single ;  i.e.,  if  there  be  no  obstruction,  as 
a  mote  or  beam,  in  your  eye,  your  vision  will  be  perfect.  What 
the  eye  is  to  the  body,  the  intention  or  motive  is  to  the  mind  and 
soul.  If  the  intention  be  good  and  pure  and  supernatural,  one's 
actions  and  conduct  will  be  likewise  good  and  deserving  of 
supernatural  reward. 

Light  and  darkness  refer  to  moral  good  and  evil.  Therefore 
if  our  intentions  and  motives  be  upright  and  pure,  our  actions  and 
deeds  cannot  be  formally  bad,  provided  we  be  in  good  faith. 

24.  No  man  can  serve  two  masters;  i.e.,  no  man  can  with 
generosity  and  entire  fidelity  serve  two  masters  whose  wishes  and 
commands  are  opposed. 

Mammon  is  an  Aramaic  word  for  riches.  We  cannot  give  our 
thoughts  and  affections  to  God  and  to  the  things  of  earth  at  one 
and  the  same  time. 


ST.  MATTHEW  VI,  25-32  43 

25.  Therefore  I  say  to  you,  be  not  solicitous  for  your  life,  what  you  shall 
eat,  nor  for  your  body,  what  you  shall  put  on.  Is  not  the  life  more  than  the 
meat:  and  the  body  more  than  the  raiment? 

26.  Behold  the  birds  of  the  air,  for  they  neither  sow,  nor  do  they  reap,  nor 
gather  into  barns:  and  your  heavenly  Father  feedeth  them.  Are  not  you  of 
much  more  value  than  they  ? 

27.  And  which  of  you  by  taking  thought,  can  add  to  his  stature  one  cubit? 

28.  And  for  raiment  why  are  you  solicitous?  Consider  the  lilies  of  the 
field,  how  they  grow :  they  labour  not,  neither  do  they  spin. 

29.  But  I  say  to  you,  that  not  even  Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was  arrayed  as 
one  of  these. 

30.  And  if  the  grass  of  the  field,  which  is  to-day,  and  to-morrow  is  cast  into 
the  oven,  God  doth  so  clothe :  how  much  more  you,  O  ye  of  little  faith? 

31.  Be  not  solicitous  therefore,  saying,  What  shall  we  eat :  or  what  shall  we 
drink,  or  wherewith  shall  we  be  clothed? 

32.  For  after  all  these  things  do  the  heathens  seek.  For  your  Father  know- 
eth  that  you  have  need  of  all  these  things. 

25,  26.  In  these  verses  our  Lord  is  condeinning  undue  solici- 
tude for  the  needs  of  the  body  in  the  present  Hfe.  His  words  do 
not  imply  that  we  are  to  indulge  idleness  and  indolence,  but  only 
that  we  are  not  to  be  over-anxious  about  material,  transitory 
things. 

The  life;  i.e.,  the  soul  is  more  important  than  the  care  of  the 
body,  as  the  body  is  more  than  its  covering. 

27.  Can  add,  etc.  A  cubit  was  about  eighteen  inches.  How  vain 
is  it  to  be  anxious  and  disturbed  about  the  welfare  of  the  body,  since 
after  all  we  cannot  do,  if  ever  so  anxious,  such  a  small  thing  as  to 
increase  our  stature! 

28,  29.  "  What  silken  works,"  says  St.  Jerome,  "  what  royal 
purple,  what  woven  picture,  can  be  compared  to  flowers?  What 
so  blushing  as  the  rose?  What  so  white  as  the  lily?"  All  the 
glory  of  Solomon  therefore  is  not  to  be  compared  with  the  lilies 
and  flowers  of  the  field ;  and  if  Almighty  God  so  provides  for  these, 
how  much  more  will  He  provide  for  us! 

30.  The  grass  of  the  field;  i.e.,  the  lilies  He  has  just  been  speak- 
ing about,  —  if  He  so  clothe  them,  whose  life  is  so  short,  how  much 
more  will  He  provide  for  us  who  are  to  live  forever ! 

31,  32.  We  are  to  labor  for  our  daily  sustenance,  but  in  so  doing 
we  must  not  be  over-anxious  for  the  needs  and  goods  of  this  present 
life.  To  be  unduly  solicitous  for  temporal  things  is  characteristic 
of  the  heathen.     Our  confidence  in  our  heavenly  Father,  like  our 


44  ST.  MATTHEW  VI,  33-34;  VII,  1 

33.  Seek  ye  therefore  first  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  his  justice,  and  all 
these  things  shall  be  added  unto  you. 

34.  Be  not  therefore  solicitous  for  to-morrow  for  the  morrow  will  be  solici- 
tous for  itself.    Sufficient  for  the  day  is  the  evil  thereof. 

charity  toward  our  neighbor,  must  far  exceed  the  virtues  of  the 
heathen. 

33,  Seek  ye  therefore  first  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  his  jus- 
tice; i.e.,  our  first  care  should  be  to  please  God,  and  by  faithful 
observance  of  His  law  and  commands  to  work  for  His  honor  and 
glory,  and  for  the  salvation  of  our  own  souls;  all  temporal  things 
are  to  be  subordinated  to  these  higher  duties;  and  if  we  seek  God 
and  the  observance  of  His  precepts  (justice),  all  temporal  things 
wall  be  added  according  to  our  needs. 

34.  Solicitous  for  to-morrow.  The  meaning  here  is  that  we 
should  not  worry  about  the  future,  but  try  contentedly  and  patiently 
to  bear  the  burdens  of  each  day  as  it  comes. 

To-morrow  is  understood  by  St.  Augustine  to  mean  temporal 
things ;  by  St.  Chrysostom,  the  superfluities  of  life ;  but  it  is  more 
likely  that  the  term  means  the  future  time. 


CHAPTER  VII 

Not  Judging  our  Neighbor,  1-6. 

Prayer,  7-1  i. 

Charity  and  Self-Denial,  12-14. 

False  Prophets,  15-23. 

The  Truly  Wise,  24-27. 

Conclusion,  28,  29. 

I,  Judge  not,  that  you  may  not  be  judged. 

There  are  many  verses  in  this  chapter  which  correspond  to 
St.  Luke's  Sermon  on  the  Plain. 

I.  Judge  not;  i.e.,  rashly  and  falsely.  The  judgment  here  con- 
demned is  in  regard  to  sins  and  faults  unseen  and  uncertain.  When 
sins  are  manifest,  our  judgment  of  them  cannot  be  called  rash. 


ST.  MATTHEW  VII,  2-7  45 

2.  For  with  what  judgment  you  judge,  you  shall  be  judged;  and  with  what 
measure  you  mete,  it  shall  be  measured  to  you  again. 

3.  And  why  seest  thou  the  mote  that  is  in  thy  brother's  eye ;  and  seest  not 
the  beam  that  is  in  thy  own  eye? 

4.  Or  how  sayest  thou  to  thy  brother  :  Let  me  cast  the  mote  out  of  thy  eye ; 
and  behold  a  beam  is  m  thy  own  eye? 

5.  Thou  hypocrite,  cast  out  first  the  beam  out  of  thy  own  eye,  and  then  shalt 
thou  see  to  cast  out  the  mote  out  of  thy  brother's  eye. 

6.  Give  not  that  which  is  holy  to  dogs;  neither  cast  ye  your  pearls  before 
swine,  lest  perhaps  they  trample  them  under  their  feet,  and  turning  upon  you, 
they  tear  you. 

7.  Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  you  :  seek,  and  you  shall  find  :  knock,  and  it 
shall  be  opened  to  you. 

That  you  be  not  judged.  Men  usually  judge  us  as  we  are 
accustomed  to  judge  others ;  and  while  God  will  pass  just  judg- 
ment on  us,  He  will  be  the  more  severe  in  proportion  as  we  are 
merciless  in  our  judgments  of  others. 

2.  For  with  what  judgment,  etc.  As  we  treat  others,  so  in  the 
main  do  they  treat  us ;  and  as  we  judge  others,  so,  scrvata  justitia, 
God  will  judge  us,  i.e.,  measure  to  us. 

3-5.  Mote  and  beam  are  terms  literally  meaning  small  and  large 
pieces  of  wood.  They  are  used  here,  as  elsewhere  in  the  Scriptures, 
to  denote  slight  and  grave  faults.  Before  condemning  and  correct- 
ing others  (unless  it  be  our  office  to  do  so),  we  are  first  to  en- 
deavor to  correct  our  own  lives,  otherwise  our  action  is  hypocritical. 
Cf.  Rom.  ii.  1-3,  20-22. 

6.  Give  not  that  which  is  holy  to  dogs,  etc.  There  is  reference 
here  to  Exod.  (xii.  8-10).  The  Jews  were  obliged  to  consume  or 
burn  all  meat  offered  in  sacrifice ;  it  would  have  been  an  impious 
act  to  give  such  meat  to  dogs.  Everything  set  apart  from  all  pro- 
fane use  was  considered  by  the  Jews  to  be  "  holy."  "  Dogs,"  like 
"  swine,"  in  the  Scriptures,  are  types  of  things  unclean.  The  mean- 
ing of  this  verse  is,  that  we  are  not  to  expose  the  precious  teach- 
ings of  the  Gospel  and  the  august  mysteries  of  our  holy  faith  to 
the  danger  of  being  profaned  and  blasphemed  by  unholy  and  im- 
pious men. 

7.  Ask,  etc.  St.  Luke  (xi.  9-12)  connects  these  words  with  the 
petitions  of  the  Lord's  prayer.  The  meaning  is,  that  to  fulfill  God's 
precepts  and  counsels  we  need  His  constant  help,  and  this  we  are 
to  seek  by  confident,  diligent,  and  persevering  prayer. 


46  ST.  MATTHEW  VII,  8-14 

8.  For  every  one  that  asketh,  receiveth :  and  he  that  seeketh,  findeth :  and 
to  him  that  knocketh,  it  shall  be  opened. 

g.  Or  what  man  is  there  among  you,  of  whom  if  his  son  shall  ask  bread, 
will  he  reach  him  a  stone  ? 

10.  Or  if  he  shall  ask  him  a  fish,  will  he  reach  him  a  serpent? 

11.  If  you  then  being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  to  your  children: 
how  much  more  will  your  Father  who  is  in  heaven,  give  good  things  to  them 
that  ask  him? 

12.  All  things  therefore  whatsoever  you  would  that  men  should  do  to  you, 
do  you  also  to  them.    For  this  is  the  law  and  the  prophets. 

13.  Enter  ye  in  at  the  narrow  gate :  for  wide  is  the  gate,  and  broad  is  the 
way  that  leadeth  to  destruction,  and  many  there  are  who  go  in  thereat. 

14.  How  narrow  is  the  gate,  and  strait  is  the  way  that  leadeth  to  life:  and 
few  there  are  that  find  it ! 


8-1 1.  For  everyone  that  asketh,  receiveth;  i.e.,  every  one  who 
with  proper  dispositions  asks  tliose  things  which  are  not  opposed 
to  God's  glory  and  his  own  spiritual  well-being,  shall  receive  the 
answer  of  his  prayers.  The  failure  to  have  our  prayers  answered 
and  petitions  granted  comes  from  the  fact  that  we  either  do  not 
ask  properly,  or  because  we  ask  that  which  would  be  hurtful  to 
our  greater  good.  God  loves  us,  as  a  father  his  children ;  but  just 
as  the  father  does  not  grant  every  wish  of  his  child,  because  he 
sees  that  to  do  so  would  be  hurtful  to  the  child,  so  Almighty  God 
does  not  always  answer  our  prayers. 

12.  In  this  verse  Our  Lord  inculcates  the  necessity  of  fulfilling 
the  second  precept,  which  is  included  in  the  first.  We  are  to  love 
our  neighbor  as  ourselves  out  of  love  for  God. 

Law  here  means  the  five  books  of  Moses  (Pentateuch),  the 
Prophets,  and  other  books  of  the  Old  Testament.  Strictly  speaking 
the  Law  meant  only  the  five  books  of  Moses. 

13,  14.  Our  Saviour  shows  us  here  that  the  fulfillment  of  His 
law,  and  our  consequent  salvation,  are  matters  of  great  difficulty. 
Hence  the  way  to  Heaven  is  called  narrow,  whereas  the  way  to  sin 
and  eternal  perdition  is  broad.  Our  Lord  is  here  answering  the 
question  put  to  Him  in  St.  Luke  (xiii.  23,  24),  "are  they  few  that 
are  saved?"  and  He  seems  plainly  to  answer  that  the  majority  of 
men  are  lost. 

Commentators  and  theologians  are  greatly  divided  as  to  the  num- 
ber of  the  saved.  St.  Thomas  (i^,  qu.  23,  a.  7  ad.  3)  and  many 
others  hold  that  the  majority  of  mankind  will  not  be  saved ;  but 


ST.  MATTHEW  VII,  15-21  47 

15.  Beware  of  false  prophets,  who  come  to  you  in  the  clothing  of  sheep,  but 
inwardly  they  are  ravening  wolves. 

16.  By  their  fruits  you  shall  know  them.  Do  men  gather  grapes  of  thorns, 
or  figs  of  thistles? 

17.  Even  so  every  good  tree  bringeth  forth  good  fruit,  and  the  evil  tree 
bringeth  forth  evil  fruit. 

18.  A  good  tree  cannot  bring  forth  evil  fruit,  neither  can  an  evil  tree  bring 
forth  good  fruit. 

19.  Every  tree  that  bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit,  shall  be  cut  down,  and 
shall  be  cast  into  the  fire. 

20.  Wherefore  by  their  fruits  you  shall  know  them. 

21.  Not  everyone  that  saith  to  me.  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into  the  king- 
dom of  heaven :  but  he  that  doth  the  will  of  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven,  he 
shall  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

the  weight   of   opinion   seems   in   favor  of  the  doctrine  that   the 
majority  of  Christians  will  be  saved. 

15.  Prophets.  The  word  prophet  in  its  strict  sense  means  one 
who  has  been  divinely  instructed  to  foretell  future  events.  Here, 
however,  it  means  a  teacher  who  has  been  sent  by  God  to  instruct 
His  people.  False  prophets  means  false  teachers,  heretics,  etc., 
within  the  fold  of  Christ. 

Who  come;  i.e.,  who  are  self-sent,  without  divine  commission; 
who  have  the  external  appearances  of  sheep,  i.e.,  of  orthodoxy, 
but  who  are  in  reality  wolves,  i.e.,  false  teachers. 

16.  By  their  fruits,  etc. ;  i.e.,  by  their  false  doctrine,  which  is  out 
of  harmony  with  the  doctrine  of  Christ,  and  especially  by  the  evil 
moral  effects  of  their  teaching  on  themselves  and  others. 

17.  18.  Every  teacher  whose  doctrine  is  true,  and  who  is  sin- 
cerely living,  or  trying  to  live,  according  to  his  preaching  will 
produce  good  fruit ;  whereas  every  teacher  of  false  doctrine  must 
yield  bad  fruit. 

19.  There  is  reference  here  to  all  evil-doers  in  general,  and  to 
false  teachers  in  particular,  to  whom  due  punishment  shall  be 
administered. 

21.  Not  every  one,  etc.  Here  our  Saviour  observes  that  not 
every  one  who  teaches  in  His  name,  or  invokes  Him,  or  belongs 
to  His  visible  Church  will  be  saved ;  but  only  those  who  do  the 
"  will "  of  His  Father,  i.e.,  who  faithfully  keep  His  commandments. 
See  Luke  vi.  46. 

Will  of  my  Father,  which  was  His  own  will  also,  because  He 
and  the  Father  are  one  (John  x.  30). 


48  ST.  MATTHEW  VII,  22-27 

22.  Many  will  say  to  me  in  that  day :  Lord,  Lord,  have  not  we  prophesied  in 
thy  name,  and  cast  out  devils  in  thy  name,  and  done  many  miracles  in  thy 
name? 

23.  And  then  will  I  profess  unto  them,  I  never  knew  you :  depart  from  mc, 
you  that  work  iniquity. 

24.  Every  one  therefore  that  heareth  these  my  words,  and  doth  them,  shall 
be  likened  to  a  wise  man  that  built  his  house  upon  a  rock, 

25.  And  the  rain  fell,  and  the  floods  came,  and  the  winds  blew,  and  they 
beat  upon  that  house,  and  it  fell  not,  for  it  was  founded  on  a  rock. 

26.  And  every  one  that  heareth  these  my  words,  and  doth  them  not,  shall  be 
like  a  foolish  man  that  built  his  house  upon  the  sand, 

27.  And  the  rain  fell,  and  the  floods  came,  and  the  winds  blew,  and  they 
beat  upon  that  house,  and  it  fell,  and  great  was  the  fall  thereof. 

22.  In  that  day;  i.e.,  on  the  day  of  the  General  Judgment  many 
false  teachers  will  appeal  to  Christ  for  eternal  life  in  view  of  their 
having  preached  in  His  name,  and  many  likewise  who  have  had 
His  divine  assistance,  and  have  exercised  the  fimctions  of  true 
teachers  shall,  because  of  sinful  lives,  be  excluded  from  the  king- 
dom of  God.     See  Luke  xiii.  26,  27. 

23.  When  the  time  of  patient  endurance  shall  have  come  to  an 
end,  then  will  be  the  time  for  the  denunciation  of  false  teachers, 
and  of  all  those  who,  while  apparently  doing  His  work,  shall  have 
been  untrue  to  the  doctrine  they  preached. 

I  never  knew  you;  i.e.,  you  were  never  my  chosen  friends, 
predestined  to  glory. 

Depart  from  me;  i.e.,  go  into  everlasting  punishment,  "  you  that 
'work  iniquity,"  i.e.,  that  were  unfaithful  in  life  and  died  in  your 
sins. 

24.  25.  Some  commentators  see  in  verse  21  a  transition  from 
false  teachers  to  the  common  faithful.  The  present  verse  would 
seem  to  justify  such  an  interpretation,  because  there  is  here  clear 
reference  to  all  the  faithful.  As  in  verse  15  the  Saviour  inculcates 
the  necessity  of  true  faith,  so  now  He  is  insisting  on  the  perform- 
ance of  good  works.  Therefore  He  concludes,  that  whosoever  has 
received  His  doctrine  and  lived  in  accordance  with  it,  has  built  his 
moral  structure  on  a  foundation  which  shall  not  be  moved,  i.e., 
which  shall  endure  forever. 

26,  27.  Those  who  do  not  hear  the  words  and  doctrine  of  Christ, 
or  who  accept  His  doctrine,  but  do  not  prove  their  faith  by  works, 
i.e.,  by  keeping  His  commandments,  shall  be  easily  swept  away  by 


ST.  MATTHEW  VU,  2S,  29;  Vlll,  1,   2  49 

28.  And  It  carae  to  pass  when  Jesus  had  fully  ended  thtse  words,  the  people 
were  in  admiration  at  his  doctrine. 

2Q.  For  he  was  teaching  them  as  one  having  power,  and  not  as  the  scribes 
and  Pharisees. 

the  storms  of  temptation  and  trial,  like  a  house  without  foundation, 
which  is  swept  away  by  the  winds  and  floods. 

28.  In  admiration;  i.e.,  they  were  astonished. 

29.  As  one  having  power;  i.e.,  as  one  who  spoke  His  own  doc- 
trine and  not  that  of  another,  as  did  the  prophets,  who  were  only 
the  mouthpiece  of  God;  nor  again  as  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees, 
who,  perverting  the  true  teaching  of  Scripture,  taught  the  tradi- 
tions of  men. 

CHAPTER  VIII 

The  Leper  is  Healed,  1-4. 

The  Servant  of  the  Centurion,  5-13. 

The  Mother-in-lavv  of  Peter,  14,  15. 

The  Demoniac  is  Cured,  16,  17. 

The  Dispositions  Necessary  for  a  Disciple,  18-22. 

Jesus  Stills  the  Storm  at  Sea,  23-27. 

The  Possessed  Men  of  Gergesa,  28-34. 

1.  And  when  he  was  come  down  from  the  mountain,  great  multitudes  fol- 
lowed him  : 

2.  And  behold  a  leper  came  and  adored  him,  saying :  Lord,  if  thou  wilt,  thou 
canst  make  me  clean. 

1.  St.  Matthew's  account  here  completes  what  St.  Luke  (vi,  17) 
has  given.  St.  Luke  records  our  Lord's  descent  from  the  top  of 
the  mountain  to  the  level  plain  on  the  mountain  side,  where  this 
discourse  was  delivered,  but  makes  no  mention  of  the  further  de- 
scent to  the  foot  of  the  mountain. 

And  when  he  was  come,  etc.;  i.e.,  when  He  had  come  to  the 
foot  of  the  mountain  from  the  level  plain  on  the  mountain  side 
where  He  had  been  discoursing  to  the  multitudes  (Luke  vi.  17). 

2.  A  leper.  According  to  Jewish  law  (Lev.  xiii.  44-46)  lepers 
were  not  allowed  to  associate  with  other  people,  nor  to  dwell  in  the 
cities,  because  of  the  contagious  character  of  their  malady.  Hence 
where  they  are  spoken  of  as  being  in  cities,  we  are  to  understand 
at  the  entrance  of   the   cities;   or   if   in   the  city,   only   as   passing 


so  ST.  MATTHEW  VIII,  3,  4 

3.  And  Jesus  stretching  forth  his  hand,  touched  him,  saying:  I  will,  be  thou 
made  clean.    And  forthwith  his  leprosy  was  cleansed. 

4.  And  Jesus  saith  to  him :  See  thou  tell  no  man :  but  go,  shew  thyself  to 
the  priest,  and  offer  the  gift  which  Moses  commanded  for  a  testimony  unto 
them. 


through.  The  leper  here  spoken  of  was  most  likely  met  by  our 
Lord  just  outside  of  Capharnaum.  See  on  Luke  v.  12-14.  St. 
Matthew  is  probably  not  following  the  chronological  order  here,  as 
this  leper  seems  to  have  been  cured  before  the  Sermon  on  the 
Mount.    See  Mark  i.  40;  Luke  v.  12. 

Adored  him;  i.e.,  fell  on  his  knees,  or  on  his  face  (Luke  v.  12). 

3.  Touched  him.  Although  to  touch  a  leper  meant  defilement 
(Lev.  V.  3),  our  Lord,  who  was  not  subject  to  Jewish  law,  as 
being  Himself  the  author  of  all  law,  disregarded  this  observance, 
and  showed  by  touching  the  leper  that  He  was  above  all  defilement. 
Our  Lord  healed  the  leper  out  of  compassion  for  his  awful  disease ; 
He  did  not  mean  to  suppress  the  law,  and  hence  He  sent  the  leper 
to  the  priests. 

4.  Tell  no  man.  In  saying  these  words  our  Lord  most  likely 
had  in  mind  only  to  conceal  the  benefit  He  had  conferred  on  the 
leper,  out  of  love  of  humanity,  and  perhaps  also  He  wished  not  to 
arouse  the  jealousy  and  anger  of  His  enemies.  At  any  rate  the 
leper  did  not  seem  to  feel  himself  bound  to  secrecy  regarding  his 
cure. 

Show  thyself  to  the  priest,  or  as  St.  Mark  (i.  44)  has  it,  "to 
the  high  priest."  This  chief  of  the  priests  was  perhaps  the  one 
that  exercised  authority  over  the  others.  The  leper  was  to  show 
himself  to  the  priest  in  order  to  obtain  a  certificate  of  his  cure, 
which  would  permit  him  to  live  again  among  men. 

Offer  thy  gift,  etc.,  which  was  a  lamb  with  flour  and  oil ;  or,  in 
case  of  poverty,  two  turtles  or  two  young  pigeons  (Lev.  xiv.  21,  22). 

Testimony.  This  may  mean  that  such  gifts  were  commanded 
by  Moses  as  a  law,  and  as  such  could  be  enforced  by  the  priests; 
or  that  if  the  priests  accepted  them,  it  would  be  a  public  recognition 
that  the  leper  was  healed,  and  that  the  miracle  performed  was  a 
true  one. 

The  lessons  taught  in  this  verse  are  humility,  obedience,  and 
gratitude ;  humility  is  shown  in  the  desire  on  the  part  of  our  Lord 


ST.  MATTHEW  VIII,  5-12  51 

5.  And  when  he  had  entered  into  Capharnaum.  there  came  to  him  a  centu- 
rion, beseeching  him, 

6.  And  saying,  Lord,  my  servant  lieth  at  home  sick  of  the  palsy,  and  is 
grievously  tormented. 

7.  And  Jesus  saith  to  him :  I  will  come  and  heal  him. 

8.  And  the  centurion  making  answer,  said :  Lord,  I  am  not  worthy  that  thou 
shouldst  enter  under  my  roof :  but  only  say  the  word,  and  my  servant  shall  be 
healed. 

9.  For  I  also  am  a  man  subject  to  authority,  having  under  me  soldiers;  and 
I  say  to  this,  Go,  and  he  goeth,  and  to  another,  Come,  and  he  cometh,  and  to 
my  servant,  Do  this,  and  he  doeth  it. 

10.  And  Jesus  hearing  this,  marvelled;  and  said  to  them  that  followed  him : 
Amen  I  say  to  you,  I  have  not  found  so  great  faith  in  Israel. 

11.  And  I  say  to  you  that  many  shall  come  from  the  east  and  the  west,  and 
shall  sit  down  with  Abraham,  and  Isaac,  and  Jacob  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven : 

12.  But  the  children  of  the  kingdom  shall  be  cast  out  into  the  exterior 
darkness:  there  shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth. 

to  keep  the  benefit  concealed,  obedience  by  the  leper's  going  to  the 
priest,  and  gratitude  by  the  gift  offered. 

5,  6.  Had  entered  into  Capharnaum,  etc.  From  these  words  we 
may  conclude  that  the  leper  was  cured  at  the  entrance  to  the  city. 

There  came  to  him.  From  St.  Luke  (vii.  i-io)  it  seems  that 
messengers  were  first  sent  by  the  centurion  to  beseech  our  Lord 
in  his  behalf,  and  from  St.  Matthew  that  the  centurion  himself 
later  met  our  Lord.  This  seems  the  best  way  to  explain  the  differ- 
ences between  the  accounts  of  the  event  given  by  Matthew  and 
Luke. 

8.  Lord,  I  am  not  worthy.  These  words  were  addressed  to  our 
Lord  either  by  the  centurion  himself,  or  by  those  whom  the  cen- 
turion had  instructed  to  say  them. 

Only  say  the  word;  i.e.,  only  give  the  command,  or  elicit  the 
wish,  —  which  words  show  that  the  centurion  recognized  the  om- 
nipotent power  of  the  Saviour. 

9.  Subject  to  authority;  i.e.,  one  who  has  subjects  and  sub- 
ordinates under  him,  to  whom  he  issues  commands. 

10.  Wondered;  i.e.,  was  astonished  at  the  faith  of  this  Gentile 
and  pagan  Roman  soldier,  as  contrasted  with  the  faith  of  the  Jews. 

11.  12.  Many  shall  come,  etc.;  i.e.,  a  great  multitude,  through 
the  power  of  the  Gospel  and  God's  grace,  shall  be  brought  from  all 
quarters  of  the  earth  to  membership  in  Christ's  kingdom  here  and 
hereafter,  while  the  Jews,  the  natural  heirs,  shall  be  cast  out. 


52  ST.  MATTHEW  VIII,  13-16 

13.  And  Jesus  said  to  the  centurion  :  Go,  and  as  thou  hast  believed,  so  be  it 
done  to  thee.    And  the  servant  vi^as  healed  at  the  same  hour. 

14.  And  when  Jesus  was  come  into  Peter's  house,  he  saw  his  wife's  mother 
lying,  and  sick  of  a  fever : 

15.  And  he  touched  her  hand,  and  the  fever  left  her,  and  she  arose  and 
ministered  to  them. 

16.  And  when  evening  was  come,  they  brought  to  him  many  that  were  pos- 
sessed with  devils :  and  he  cast  out  the  spirits  with  his  word :  and  all  that  were 
sick  he  healed : 

Exterior  darkness;  i.e.,  out  of  the  light  of  God's  presence  into 
the  darkness  of  hell. 

Weeping  and  gnashing,  etc.  These  words  are  understood  by 
St.  Jerome  and  others  to  signify  that  in  hell  there  will  be  continu- 
ous alternations  between  extreme  heat  and  extreme  cold.  There  is 
foundation  for  this  interpretation  in  the  words  of  Job  (xxiv.  19), 
although  they  do  not  prove.  "  Weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth  " 
express,  without  doubt,  the  pain  of  loss,  the  eternal  regret  and  re- 
morse of  the  damned. 

13.  At  the  same  hour;  i.e.,  at  the  very  moment  that  our  Lord 
uttered  the  words  of  his  cure. 

14.  According  to  the  order  of  time  the  miracles  narrated  here 
(verses  14-17)  follow  after  the  call  of  the  Apostles  (iv.  22). 

Peter's  house.  It  seems  that  after  the  call  of  Peter  and  Andrew 
our  Lord  entered  Capharnaum,  and  having  preached  there  for  a 
time  retired  to  Peter's  house.  Cf.  Mark  i.  22 ;  Luke  iv.  32.  The 
house  in  question  some  say  belonged  to  Peter's  father ;  others  be- 
lieve it  was  the  property  of  Peter's  mother-in-law.  Peter  and 
Andrew  were  likely  accustomed  to  stop  there  while  in  Capharnaum, 
hence  it  is  called  by  St.  Mark  (i.  29)  "the  house  of  Simon  and 
Andrew." 

Mother-in-law.  Peter  is  the  only  one  of  the  Apostles  whom  we 
know  from  the  Scriptures  to  have  been  married. 

15.  She  arose,  etc.  We  know  from  St.  Luke  (iv.  38)  that  her 
illness  was  very  great,  hence  this  sudden  and  complete  cure  was  a 
miracle  quoad  modmn. 

16.  When  evening  was  come.  Although  the  cure  of  Peter's 
mother-in-law  and  of  the  demoniac  had  taken  place  on  the  Sabbath 
(Mark  i.  21;  Ltike  iv.  31),  it  was  considered  unlawful  to  do  any 
work  on  that  day,  and  therefore,  since  the  Sabbath  ended  at  sunset, 
they  waited  till  evening  to  bring  the  sick  to  our  Lord. 


ST.  MATTHEW  VIII,  17-22  53 

17.  That  it  might  be  fulfilled,  which  was  spoken  by  the  prophet  Isaias,  say- 
ing: He  took  our  infirmities,  and  bore  our  diseases. 

18.  And  Jesus  seeing  great  multitudes  about  him,  gave  orders  to  pass  over 
the  water. 

19.  And  a  certain  scribe  came  and  said  to  him :  Master,  I  will  follow  thee 
whithersoever  thou  shalt  go. 

20.  And  Jesus  saith  to  him  :  The  foxes  have  holes,  and  the  birds  of  the  air 
nests:  but  the  son  of  man  hath  not  where  to  lay  his  head. 

21.  And  another  of  his  disciples  said  to  him  :  Lord,  suffer  me  first  to  go  and 
bury  my  father. 

22.  But  Jesus  said  to  him  :  Follow  me,  and  let  the  dead  bury  their  dead. 

And  all  that  were  sick,  etc.  Those  who  were  possessed  were 
commonly  spoken  of  as  "  the  sick" ;  and  rightly  so,  because  the 
devil,  by  entering-  into  a  man,  can  to  such  an  extent  upset  his  reason 
and  imagination  as  to  make  him  the  subject  of  all  kinds  of  ills. 
Thus  the  possessed  were  often  epileptics,  maniacs,  deaf,  dumb,  etc. 
The  devil,  although  he  ever  remains  an  exterior  agent,  can  in  these 
ways  afflict  human  beings,  because  he  is  a  spirit,  and  as  such  en- 
joys great  power  over  matter  and.  through  matter,  over  mind  and 
will.     See  on  iv.  24. 

17.  He  took  our  infirmities,  etc.  The  prophecy  of  Isaias  (liii. 
4,  5)  refers  directly  to  sin  and  its  punishment.  Our  Lord  by  His 
Passion  and  death  on  the  cross,  took  away  sin  and  the  eternal 
punishment  due  to  sin ;  but  sickness  and  disease  are  consequences 
of  sin ;  and  hence  St.  Matthew  says  that  our  Lord,  by  taking  away 
sin,  took  away  also  sickness  and  disease.  All  sickness  and  suffer- 
ing, however,  will  not  disappear  until  the  next  life,  in  Heaven. 

18.  Gave  orders,  etc.  The  fame  of  His  miracles  had  attracted 
great  crowds,  and  in  order  to  avoid  too  much  human  applause  He 
wished  to  cross  to  the  other  side  of  the  lake. 

19.  Most  commentators  who  identify  this  verse  with  Luke  ix.  57 
believe  that  the  Third  Gospel  gives  the  right  chronology,  and  con- 
sequently that  verses  19  to  22  should  be  considered  as  parenthetical 
here,  as  giving  two  sayings  of  our  Lord  during  the  last  autumn  of 
His  life. 

20.  Son  of  man;  i.e.,  according  to  the  prophecy  of  Daniel  (vii. 
13),  the  perfect  type  of  man,  the  Messiah.  Our  Lord  was  a  true 
man,  having  the  same  human  nature  that  we  have,  without  our 
tendencies  to  corruption  and  sin. 

21.  22.  Follow  me.    Our  Lord  wishes  here  to  call  attention  that 


54  ST.  MATTHEW  VIII,  23-28 

23.  And  when  he  entered  into  the  boat,  his  disciples  followed  him  : 

24.  And  behold  a  great  tempest  arose  in  the  sea,  so  that  the  boat  was  cov- 
ered with  waves,  but  he  was  asleep. 

25.  And  they  came  to  him,  and  awaked  him.  saying :  Lord,  .save  us,  we 
perish. 

26.  And  Jesus  saith  to  them:  Why  are  you  fearful,  O  ye  of  little  faith? 
Then  rising  up  he  commanded  the  winds,  and  the  sea,  and  there  came  a  great 
calm. 

27.  But  the  men  wondered,  saying:  What  manner  of  man  is  this,  for  the 
winds  and  the  sea  obey  him  ? 

28.  And  when  he  was  come  on  the  other  side  of  the  water,  into  the  coun- 
try of  the  Gerasens,  there  met  him  two  that  were  possessed  with  devils,  coming 
out  of  the  sepulchres,  exceeding  fierce,  so  that  none  could  pass  that  way. 

our  duties  to  Him  transcend  all  natural  duties.  Let  the  dead 
bury  their  dead,  i.e.,  let  those  who  are  spiritually  dead  bury  them 
that  are  corporally,  physically  dead.  It  is  well  enough  for  those 
who  are  dead  to  all  spiritual  interests  to  busy  themselves  with 
material,  earthly  things,  but  not  so  one  who  wishes  to  follow  Christ 
and  be  a  true  disciple. 

23.  His  disciples  followed  him;  i.e.,  into  the  boat.  The  stilling 
of  the  storm  follows  chronologically  after  the  parables  in  chap- 
ter xiii.  » 

25.  We  perish;  i.e.,  we  are  about  to  perish. 

26.  O  ye  of  little  faith.  Mark  (iv.  40)  and  Luke  (viii.  25)  say 
that  our  Lord  added  these  words  after  the  miracle  of  the  calming 
of  the  sea. 

He  commanded  the  winds,  etc.  As  the  sleep  of  our  Lord  had 
shown  His  human  nature,  so  now  the  commanding  of  the  winds 
and  the  waves  showed  His  divine  nature  and  sovereign  power. 

27.  The  men  wondered;  i.e.,  the  disciples,  or  perhaps  the  men 
rowing  the  boat ;  more  likely  all  who  witnessed  the  miracle  were 
astonished  at  the  power  of  our  Saviour. 

28.  The  country  of  the  Gerasens.  The  place  here  mentioned 
was  most  probably  Gergesa,  now  Kersa  on  the  east  side  of  the  sea 
of  Galilee.  In  different  MSS.  the  three  Synoptics  have  Gerasa, 
Gadara,  and  Gergesa.  But  it  is  hardly  possible  that  the  scene  in 
the  Gospel,  which  is  represented  as  having  taken  place  on  the 
shores  of  the  lake,  could  have  been  at  either  of  the  first  two  places, 
since  they  are  both  a  long  distance  away  from  the  lake.  It  is  prob- 
able that  Gergesa  belonged  to  the  district  of  Gadara,  which  Jo- 


ST.  MATTHEW  VIII,  29-32  55 

29.  And  behold  they  cried  out,  saying  ;  What  have  we  to  do  with  thee, 
Jesus  Son  of  God?  art  thou  come  hither  to  torment  us  before  the  time? 

30.  And  there  was,  not  far  from  them,  an  herd  of  many  swine  feeding. 

31.  And  the  devils  besought  him,  saying:  If  thou  cast  us  out  hence,  send 
us  into  the  herd  of  swine. 

2,2.  And  he  said  to  them  :  Go.  But  they  going  out  went  into  the  swine,  and 
behold  the  whole  herd  ran  violently  down  a  steep  place  into  the  sea  :  and  they 
perished  in  the  waters. 

sephus  {Bell.  Jud.  iv.  7,  3)  tells  us  was  the  capital  of  Peraea.  If 
this  be  true,  the  two  readings,  Gergescans  and  Gadaraneans  are 
correct.  The  reading  Gerasens  is  not  exact  and  was  introduced 
perhaps  because  Gerasa  was  better  known  than  Gergesa. 

There  met  him  two.  Mark  and  Luke  mention  only  one,  per- 
haps because  the  condition  of  one  was  much  more  terrible  than 
that  of  the  other.  It  is  thought  more  probable,  however,  that  the 
translator  here  read  the  singular  for  the  plural,  in  the  original 
Aramean,  and  that  Mark  and  Luke  are  right  in  speaking  of  only 
one  demoniac  on  this  occasion. 

Sepulchres.  These  vv-ere  vault-like  structures  built  outside  the 
cities  and  towns,  in  accordance  with  the  Mosaic  Law,  and  large 
enough  to  admit  several  men. 

29.  They  cried  out,  when  our  Lord  ordered  them  to  leave  the 
bodies  of  the  possessed  (Mark  v.  7). 

What  have  we  to  do  with  thee;  i.e.,  leave  us  in  peace.  By  an 
ordinance  of  God  the  devils  were  permitted  to  roam  the  earth  for 
a  certain  time,  after  which  they  should  be  obliged  to  return  to  the 
confinement  of  hell.  They  feared,  therefore,  that  our  Lord,  whom 
they  at  least  suspected  to  be  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  would 
drive  them  back  into  hell  before  the  end  of  the  time  allowed  them 
to  roarn  the  earth. 

30,  31.  Not  far.  One  reading  says  a  great  way  off,  but  most 
readings  favor  that  of  the  Vulgate.  The  swine  were  about  two 
thousand  in  number  and  the  devils  were  very  many,  —  legion 
(Mark  v.  9,  13). 

Send  us  into  the  herd,  etc.  The  devils  did  not  want  to  be  cast 
into  hell ;  they  wished  to  remain  on  earth  to  destroy  the  property 
of  men  whom  they  hated,  and  to  instigate  men  against  Christ  whom 
they  also  hated. 

32.  Go.    Our  Lord  here  shows  that  even  the  demons  are  subject 


56  ST.  MATTHEW  VIII,  33,  34;  IX,  1,  2 

32-  And  they  that  kept  them  fled :  and  coming  into  the  city,  told  every 
thing,  and  concerning  them  that  had  been  possessed  by  the  devils. 

34.  And  behold  the  whole  city  went  out  to  meet  Jesus,  and  when  they  saw 
him,  they  besought  him  that  he  would  depart  from  their  coasts. 

to  Him.  Commentators  say  that  He  sent  the  devils  into  the  swine : 
(a)  in  order  to  spread  abroad  a  knowledge  of  the  miracle  per- 
formed; (b)  to  show  the  existence  of  spirits  and  devils,  which 
many  then  as  now  denied;  (c)  to  show  that  He  had  power  over 
the  demons. 

Into  the  sea;  i.e.,  the  Sea  of  Galilee. 

34.  The  whole  city  went  out,  etc. ;  i.e.,  a  great  number  from 
the  city. 

Depart,  The  faithless  people  preferred  to  lose  the  presence  of 
our  Saviour,  rather  than  suffer  any  further  temporal  loss. 


CHAPTER   IX 

The  Cure  of  the  Paralytic  and  the  Power  on 

Earth  to  Forgive  Sins,  1-8. 
The  Call  of  St.  Matthew  and  the  Feast  in  his 

House,  9-17. 
The  Daughter  of  Jairus,  18-26. 
The  Two  Blind  Men,  27-31. 
The  Dumb  Man,  32-34. 
Jesus  Teaches  and  Preaches  in  Galilee,  35-38. 

1.  And  entering  into  a  boat,  he  passed  over  the  water  and  came  into  his  own 
city. 

2.  And  behold  they  brought  to  him  one  sick  of  the  palsy  lying  in  a  bed. 
And  Jesus,  seeing  their  faith,  said  to  the  man  sick  of  the  palsy :  Be  of  good 
heart,  son,  thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee. 

1.  His  own  city,  which  was  Capharnaum,  as  is  clear  from  iv.  13. 
Nazareth  was  called  "his  own  country"  (xiii.  54). 

2.  One  sick  of  the  palsy.  Palsy  is  the  same  as  paralysis.  The 
order  of  Matthew  here  does  not  quite  agree  with  that  of  Mark 
(ii.  1-12)  and  Luke  (v.  18-26),  but  Matthew  is  following  a  topical 
rather  than  a  chronological  order. 


ST.  MATTHEW  IX,  3-7  57 

3.  And  behold  some  of  the  scribes  said  within  themselves :  He  blasphemeth. 

4.  And  Jesus  seeing  their  thoughts,  said :  Why  do  you  think  evil  in  your 
hearts  ? 

5.  Whether  is  easier,  to  say,  Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee:  or  to  say,  Arise, 
and  walk? 

6.  But  that  you  may  know  that  the  Son  of  man  hath  power  on  earth  to  for- 
give sins,  (then  said  he  to  the  man  sick  of  the  palsy,)  Arise,  take  up  thy  bed. 
and  go  into  thy  house. 

7.  And  he  arose,  and  went  into  his  house. 

Seeing  their  faith;  i.e.,  the  faith  of  those  who  carried  the  sick 
man  (Mark  ii.  3  fif. ;  Luke  v.  18  ff.),  which  shows  that  favors  arc 
conferred  by  reason  of  the  prayers  and  faith  of  others. 

Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee.  All  bodily  sufferings  are  the  effect 
of  sin,  original  or  actual,  or  both,  and  our  Lord  before  removing 
the  illness  of  the  sick  man  first  removed  the  cause;  namely,  his  sins. 

3.  Said  within  themselves;  i.e.,  in  their  hearts.  He  blas- 
phemeth. They  wished  to  say  that  our  Lord  was  not  God,  and  so 
blasphemed  in  ascribing  to  Himself  the  power  of  God. 

4.  Seeing  their  thoughts,  which  should  have  proved  to  them 
that  He  was  really  God,  because  only  God  can  read  the  heart.  He 
accused  them  of  evil  because  He  had  already  given  them  sufhcient 
signs  that  He  was  God. 

5.  Whether  is  easier,  to  say,  etc.  It  is  easier  merely  to  say,  i.e., 
to  pretend,  to  forgive  sin  than  to  cure  a  paralytic,  because  the  latter 
is  an  object  of  ocular  vision,  whereas  the  former  is  unseen  in  its 
effects.  St.  Augustine  and  many  of  the  Fathers  say  it  is  much 
more  difficult  actually  to  forgive  sin  than  to  cure  any  corporal 
malady,  or  even  to  create  heaven  and  earth ;  but  in  order  that  these 
Scribes  might  have  ocular  demonstration  of  the  miracle,  our  Lord 
chose  to  heal  the  sick  man  in  their  presence. 

6.  Power  to  forgive  sins.  By  performing  a  miracle  which  all 
could  see  our  Lord  wished  in  this  instance  to  prove  that  He  had 
also  power  to  forgive  sin,  because  any  miracle  performed  in  ap- 
probation, in  substantiation,  of  His  doctrine  was  sufficient  to  prove 
the  truth  of  that  doctrine.  Jesus  claims  to  have  the  power  to  for- 
give sin,  and  He  performs  a  miracle  which  all  can  see  to  prove  His 
claim.  But  only  God  can  remit  sin.  Therefore  Jesus,  who  has 
proved  that  He  can  remit  sin,  is  God. 

7.  He  arose,  showing  that  his  cure  was  complete. 


58  ST.  MATTHEW  IX,  8-13 

8.  And  the  multitude  seeing  it,  feared,  and  glorified  God  that  gave  such 
power  to  men. 

g.  And  when  Jesus  passed  on  from  thence,  he  saw  a  man  sitting  in  the  cus- 
tom house,  named  Matthew ;  and  he  saith  to  him ;  Follow  me.  And  he  arose 
up  and  followed  him. 

10.  And  it  came  to  pass  as  he  was  sitting  at  meat  in  the  house,  behold  many 
publicans  and  sinners  came,  and  sat  down  with  Jesus  and  his  disciples. 

11.  And  the  Pharisees  seeing  it,  said  to  his  disciples :  Why  doth  your  master 
eat  with  publicans  and  sinners? 

12.  But  Jesus  hearing  it,  said :  They  that  are  in  health  need  not  a  physician, 
but  they  that  are  ill. 

13.  Go  then  and  learn  what  this  meaneth,  I  will  have  mercy  and  not  sacri- 
fice.   For  I  am  not  come  to  call  the  just,  but  sinners. 

8.  Feared,  —  literally,  marveled  {kdabnacov)  at  the  sight  of  the 
miracle. 

9.  Custom-house  was  a  place  where  taxes  on  exports  and  im- 
ports were  collected  by  the  Roman  authorities.     See  on  v.  46. 

Named  Matthew.  Mark  and  Luke  called  this  man  Levi ;  but 
he  calls  himself  Matthew,  perhaps  out  of  gratitude  to  God  for 
his  call,  because  the  Hebrew  word  Mattathah  means  "  gift  of 
God." 

10.  In  the  house;  i.e.,  in  Matthew's  house.  St.  Matthew  passes 
over  very  briefly  the  feast  which  he  gave  our  Saviour,  doubtless 
out  of  a  sense  of  humility. 

Sinners.  The  Jews  were  accustomed  to  call  the  Gentiles  sinners, 
but  those  here  mentioned  were  likely  Jews  who  led  sinful  lives 
and  associated  with  the  Gentiles.  These  publicans  and  sinners  were 
probably  friends  of  Matthew,  who  also  perhaps  wjanted  to  meet 
Jesus  and  become  His  disciples.  It  was  customary  in  the  East, 
where  the  houses  were  kept  open,  for  friends  freely  to  enter  the 
house  of  a  friend,  and  take  their  places  at  his  table. 

11.  Pharisees  seeing  it;  i.e.,  v;hen  they  had  learned  of  it  from 
others,  for  they  were  not  present  at  the  time. 

Why  doth  your  master  eat,  .  .  .?  i.e.,  why  do  you  and  your 
Master  eat,  .  .  .  ?  Cf.  Luke  v.  3.  The  Pharisees  pretended  to 
a  superior  degree  of  sanctity  and  so  contemned  others.  See  on 
iii.  7. 

12.  Jesus  hearing  it;  i.e.,  later  from  His  disciples. 

13.  Mercy  and  not  sacrifice.  The  meaning  is  that  mercy  is 
preferred  to  sacrifice    (Osee  vi.  6).      Mercy   represents  the  actual 


ST.  MATTHEW  IX,  14,   15  59 

14.  Then  came  to  him  the  disciples  of  John,  saying :  Why  do  we  and  the 
Pharisees  fast  often,  but  thy  disciples  do  not  fast? 

15.  And  Jesus  said  to  them :  Can  the  children  of  the  bridegroom  mourn,  as 
long  as  the  bridegroom  is  with  them?  But  the  days  will  come,  when  the  bride- 
groom shall  be  taken  away  from  them,  and  then  they  shall  fast. 

works  of  charity  toward  our  neighbor,  whereas  sacrifice,  to  the 
mind  of  the  Pharisee,  had  reference  chiefly  to  the  external  acts  of 
worship.  By  these  words  our  Lord  wished  to  call  attention  to  the 
fact  that  real  interior  religion  is  far  more  excellent  than  the  mere 
external  show  which  the  Pharisees  practiced. 

But  sinners.  The  purpose  of  Christ's  coming  was  fb  redeem  the 
world  from  sin,  and  to  enable  man  to  attain  his  supernatural 
destiny. 

14.  The  disciples  of  John.  Most  likely  some  Scribes  and  Phari- 
sees were  with  John's  disciples  when  they  came  to  our  Lord  (Mark 
ii.  18;  Luke  v.  33).  Those  who  asked  the  question  were  apparently 
moved  by  jealousy  towards  the  Saviour,  and  wished  to  insinuate 
that  His  association  with  sinners,  as  at  the  recent  feast,  was  not 
to  save  them,  but  rather  for  self-indulgence.  It  would  be  a  mistake 
to  conclude  from  this  message  of  John  to  Jesus  that  the  Baptist 
himself  entertained  any  doubts  as  to  the  character  and  mission 
of  our  Lord.  It  was  only  to  satisfy  some  of  his  disciples  whose 
faith  perhaps,  by  contact  with  the  Pharisees,  had  begun  to  waver 
a  bit. 

15.  Children  of  the  bridegroom;  i.e..  the  close  friends  and  com- 
panions of  the  bridegroom. 

Bridegroom,  in  its  figurative  sense,  means  our  Lord,  who  is  the 
spouse  of  His  Church  (John  iii.  29). 

Mourn;  i.e.,  fast.  Our  Lord  did  not  wish  to  condemn  future 
lasting  in  His  Church,  which  He  really  predicted  in  this  verse; 
He  wished  only  to  say  that  it  was  unbecoming  that  His  disciples 
.should  fast  while  enjoying  His  blessed  presence. 

John  the  Baptist  (John  iii.  29)  had  called  our  Lord  the  "  Bride- 
groom "  of  His  people,  and  our  Lord  now  reminded  the  disciples  of 
John  of  their  master's  testimony.  During  wedding  festivities,  ac- 
cording to  Jewish  custom,  there  was  no  fasting  for  the  members  of 
the  wedding  party.  Therefore,  while  the  Saviour  was  with  His 
disciples  they  were  exempted  from  fasting. 


6o  ST.  MATTHEW  IX,  16-20 

i6.  And  nobody  putteth  a  piece  of  raw  cloth  unto  an  old  garment.  For  it 
taketh  away  the  fulness  thereof  from  the  garment,  and  there  is  made  a  greater 
rent. 

17.  Neither  do  they  put  new  wine  into  old  bottles.  Otherwise  the  bottles 
break,  and  the  wine  runneth  out,  and  the  bottles  perish.  But  new  wine  they 
put  into  new  bottles :  and  both  are  preserved. 

18.  As  he  was  speaking  these  things  unto  them,  behold  a  certain  ruler  came 
up,  and  adored  him,  saying :  Lord,  my  daughter  is  even  now  dead ;  but  come, 
lay  thy  hand  upon  her,  and  she  shall  live. 

19.  And  Jesus  rising  up  followed  him,  with  his  disciples. 

20.  And  behold  a  woman  who  was  troubled  with  an  issue  of  blood  twelve 
years,  came  behind  him,  and  touched  the  hem  of  his  garment. 

16,  17,  Raw  cloth  means  new  and  undressed  cloth,  fresh  from 
the  weaver.  This  new  unyielding  piece  takes  wholeness  and  com- 
pleteness from  the  old,  and  if  sewed  to  the  old  would  soon  contract 
and  tear  it. 

Old  bottles.  These  were  not  glass  bottles,  but  wine-skins  made 
from  the  hides  of  sheep  and  goats ;  and  because  they  were  old  and 
no  longer  elastic  they  could  not  expand  with  the  fermentation  of 
new  wine,  and  so  would  burst.  The  meaning  of  these  similitudes  is 
that  our  Lord  did  not  consider  His  disciples  yet  sufficiently  in- 
structed and  advanced  in  His  teaching  to  be  able  to  withstand  the 
austerities  of  a  life  of  penance  and  mortification.  As  yet  they  were 
men  of  the  ancient  Judaism,  and  Judaism  was  not  strong  enough  to 
support  the  religious  perfection  of  Christianity. 

18.  As  He  was  speaking,  etc.  The  raising  of  the  daughter  of 
Jairus  followed  the  encounter  with  the  demoniacs  of  Gergesa  ( Mark 
V.  I ;  Luke  viii.  26),  which  happened  after  the  dispute  about  fasting. 
Hence  these  things  refers  not  only  to  the  things  said  in  verses 
14-17,  but  to  all  the  previous  teaching  of  our  Lord  given  in  this 
Gospel. 

A  certain  ruler,  who  was  president  of  the  synagogue,  and  whose 
name  was  Jairus  (Mark  v.  22;  Luke  viii.  41). 

Is  even  now  dead.  Mark  and  Luke  say  she  was  dying.  The 
girl  was  likely  at  the  point  of  death  when  the  ruler  left  her,  and 
judging  from  the  extremity  of  her  illness  he  considered  her  to  be 
dead  when  he  was  speaking  to  our  Lord. 

20.  An  issue  of  blood.  Such  a  person  was  considered  unclean 
according  to  the  Law  of  Moses  (Lev.  xv.  25),  hence  she  came 
timidly  behind  the  Saviour  and  touched  His  garment. 


ST.  MATTHEW  IX,  21-28  6 1 

21.  For  she  said  within  herself:  If  I  shall  touch  only  his  garment,  I  shall 
be  healed. 

22.  But  Jesus  turning  and  seeing  her,  said  :  Be  of  good  heart,  daughter,  thy 
faith  hath  made  thee  whole.    And  the  woman  was  made  whole  from  that  hour. 

23.  And  when  Jesus  was  come  into  the  house  of  the  ruler,  and  saw  the  min- 
strels and  the  multitude  making  a  rout, 

24.  He  said:  Give  place,  for  the  girl  is  not  dead,  but  sleepeth.  And  they 
laughed  him  to  scorn. 

25.  And  when  the  multitude  was  put  forth,  he  went  in,  and  took  her  by  the 
hand.    And  the  maid  arose. 

26.  And  the  fame  hereof  went  abroad  into  all  that  country. 

27.  And  as  Jesus  passed  from  thence,  there  followed  him  two  blind  men 
crying  out  and  saying.  Have  mercy  on  us,  O  Son  of  David. 

28.  And  when  he  was  come  to  the  house,  the  blind  men  came  to  him.  And 
Jesus  saith  to  them,  Do  you  believe,  that  I  can  do  this  unto  you  ?  They  say  to 
him.  Yea,  Lord. 

22.  Thy  faith.  The  woman  had  implicit  faith  in  the  power  of 
our  Lord,  and  this  was  a  disposition  which  induced  Him  to  cure  her. 

2"^^.  Minstrels.  These  were  hired  mourners  consisting  of  at  least 
two  flute-players  and  one  wailing  woman.  They  were  engaged  for 
every  Jewish  funeral  to  excite  the  grief  and  lamentation  of  the 
relatives.  In  the  case  of  rich  people,  such  as  this  ruler,  many 
mourners  were  employed. 

Making  a  rout  by  their  loud  manifestations  of  grief. 

24.  The  girl  is  not  dead;  i.e.,  she  is  not  beyond  the  power  of 
God  to  resuscitate  her.  Death  is  often  spoken  of  as  sleep  in  the 
Scriptures ;  thus  Lazarus  when  dead  was  said  to  sleep  (John  xi.  11)  ; 
but  that  this  girl  was  really  dead  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  those 
around  laughed  our  Lord  to  scorn  when  He  said  "  she  sleepeth." 
The  Saviour  spoke  of  her  death  as  a  sleep,  because  to  His  almighty 
power  death  is  never  more  than  sleep. 

25.  When  the  multitude  was  put  forth.  In  order  to  conceal 
the  performance  of  this  miracle  from  unworthy  witnesses,  who 
would  be  only  irritated  by  it,  our  Lord  excluded  from  the  room  all 
except  near  relatives  and  His  favorite  Apostles,  Peter,  James  and 
John.    Cf.  Mark  v.  37;  Luke  viii.  51. 

27.  Son  of  David.  This  was  a  title  which  the  Jews  had  ascribed 
to  the  Messiah,  hence  the  blind  men  recognized  our  Lord  as  the 
Messiah. 

Have  mercy  on  us;  i.e.,  restore  our  sight. 

28.  To  the  house,  likely  Peter's  house  at  Caphamaum. 


62  ST.  MATTHEW  IX,  29-37 

jg.  Then  he  touched  their  eyes,  saying,  According  to  your  faith,  be  it  done 
unto  you. 

30.  And  their  eyes  were  opened,  and  Jesus  strictly  charged  them,  saying. 
See  that  no  man  know  this. 

31.  But  they  going  out,  spread  his  fame  abroad  in  all  that  country. 

32.  And  when  they  were  gone  out,  behold  they  brought  him  a  dumb  man, 
possessed  with  a  devil. 

3^,.  And  after  the  devil  was  cast  out,  the  dumb  man  spoke,  and  the  multi- 
tudes wondered,  saying.  Never  was  the  like  seen  in  Israel. 

34.  But  the  Pharisees  said.  By  the  prince  of  devils  he  casteth  out  devils. 

35.  And  Jesus  went  about  all  the  cities,  and  towns,  teaching  in  their  syna- 
gogues, and  preaching  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom,  and  healing  every  disease, 
and  every  infirmity. 

36.  And  seeing  the  multitudes,  he  had  compassion  on  them :  because  they 
were  distressed,  and  lying  like  sheep  that  have  no  shepherd. 

27.  Then  he  saith  to  his  disciples.  The  harvest  indeed  is  great,  but  the 
labourers  are  few. 

Yea,  Lord.  The  blind  men  had  heard  of  our  Lord's  power  anrl 
miracles  and  they  appealed  in  confidence  to  His  goodness. 

30.  Strictly  charged  them.  Our  Saviour's  time  for  suffering 
had  not  yet  come,  and  He  did  not  want  to  excite  His  enemies  too 
much  lest  they  put  Him  to  death  before  He  had  finished  His  work. 
He  also  most  probably  was  moved  out  of  humility  to  wish  to  con- 
ceal the  miracles  He  had  performed ;  and  hence  the  Fathers  com- 
monly teach  that  the  blind  men  did  not  sin  in  disobeying  His 
request. 

32.  When  they  were  gone  out;  i.e.,  when  these  two  men  just 
cured  of  blindness  had  gone  out  they  brought  a  man  who  was 
dumb,  owing  to  diabolical  possession.    See  on  iv.  24;  viii.  16. 

33.  Never  was  the  like  seen  in  Israel.  This  was  one  of  many 
miracles,  the  like  of  which  had  never  been  seen  in  Israel. 

34.  Prince  of  devils;  i.e.,  Beelzebub.  Out  of  envy  and  malice 
the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  did  not  want  to  admit  the  divine  power 
of  our  Lord,  and  so  ascribed  His  works  to  the  prince  of  devils. 

35.  Preaching  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom;  i.e.,  the  good  tidings 
of  redemption  so  near  at  hand. 

36.  Our  Saviour,  beholding  the  people  distressed,  i.e.,  worried 
and  afflicted  with  all  kinds  of  evils,  spiritual  and  corporal,  was 
moved  by  deepest  pity  for  them. 

37.  The  harvest;  i.e.,  the  people  and  their  needs. 

Laborers  are  few.    So  far  there  were  onlv  our  Lord  and  John 


ST.  MATTHEW  IX,  3S;  X,   1,  2  63 

38.  Pray  yc  therefore  the  Lord  of  the  harvest,  that  he  send  forth  labourers 
into  his  harvest. 

the  Baptist.     The  Scribes  and  Pharisees  had  neg^lectcd  their  duty 
altogether. 

38.  Lord  of  the  harvest;  i.e.,  the  householder,  or  lord  of  the 
vineyard,  here  to  be  understood  of  our  Saviour,  who  was  to  send 
His  Apostles  into  the  world. 


CHAPTER  X 

The  Choosing  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  1-4. 
The  Mission  of  the  Apostles  to  Galilee,  5-15. 
General  Instructions  to  the  Apostles,  16-42. 

1.  And  having  called  his  twelve  disciples  together,  he  gave  them  power  over 
unclean  spirits,  to  cast  them  out,  and  to  heal  all  manner  of  diseases,  and  all 
manner  of  infirmities. 

2.  And  the  names  of  the  twelve  apostles  are  these :  The  first,  Simon  who  is 
called  Peter,  and  Andrew  his  brother, 

1.  St.  Matthew  here,  in  connection  with  the  first  public  mission 
of  the  Apostles,  briefly  alludes  to  the  calling  of  the  Apostles,  which, 
according  to  St.  Mark  (iii.  13)  and  St.  Luke  (vi.  13),  preceded 
the  Sermon  on  the  Mount.  We  have  here  the  first  mission  of  the 
Apostles,  on  which  they  were  to  preach  to  others  the  doctrine  the 
Master  had  been  teaching  them  for  two  years :  this  doctrine  they 
were  to  confirm  by  the  manifestation  of  extraordinary  powers,  such 
as  the  healing  of  the  sick,  the  casting  out  of  devils,  etc.  Their 
second  and  fuller  mission  came  only  after  the  Ascension  and 
Pentecost. 

Unclean  spirits.  The  devil  and  evil  spirits  are  called  "  unclean  " 
because  of  the  sinful  acts  in  which  they  delight,  and  which  they 
lead  men  to* commit. 

2.  Names  of  the  apostles.  The  word  "  apostle  ''  signifies  one 
sent  to  execute  a  mission,  from  the  Greek,  dTroo-reXXeii',  to  send. 

Twelve  Apostles  were  chosen  by  our  Lord  most  likely  in  order 
that  the  first  heads  of  the  Christian  Church  inight  correspond  in 
number  with  the  twelve  Fathers  or  Patriarchs  of  the  Jews. 

First  Simon,   etc.    The  Primacy  of   St.   Peter  seems  clearly  in- 


64  ST.  MATTHEW  X,  3-5 

3.  James  the  son  of  Zebedee,  and  John  his  brother,  Philip  and  Bartholo- 
mew, Thomas  and  Matthew  the  publican,  and  James  the  son  of  Alpheus,  and 
Thaddeus, 

4.  Simon  the  Cananean,  and  Judas  Iscariot,  who  also  betrayed  him. 

5.  These  twelve  Jesus  sent :  commanding  them,  saying :  Go  ye  not  into  the 
way  of  the  Gentiles,  and  into  the  city  of  the  Samaritans  enter  ye  not. 

dicated  from  the  fact  that,  in  all  the  lists  of  the  Apostles,  his  name 
stands  first.  Cf.  Mark  iii.  16;  Luke  vi.  14;  Acts  i.  13.  This  is  the 
more  significant  since  Andrew  was  older  than  Peter  and  was 
known  to  our  Lord  before  him. 

3.  And  Matthew.  It  is  believed  that  St.  Matthew  added,  "  the 
publican,"  out  of  humility. 

James,  son  of  Zebedee;  i.e.,  James  the  Greater,  who  became  the 
Apostle  of  Spain. 

James,  son  of  Alpheus;  i.e.,  James  the  Less,  author  of  the 
Epistle  of  St.  James  and  first  Bishop  of  Jerusalem. 

Thaddeus;  i.e.,  Jude,  author  of  the  Epistle  of  St.  Jude. 

4.  Simon,  the  Cananean,  so  called  because  he  belonged  to  the 
party  of  *'  Zealots,"  distinguished  for  their  zeal  in  the  observance 
of  the  law,  —  from  the  Hebrew  word  Kana,  meaning  zeal. 

Judas  Iscariot;  i.e.,  "Judas  of  Kerioth  "  in  Judea,  from  whence 
he  came.     Of  all  the  Apostles  only  Judas  was  a  Judean. 

5.  These  twelve  Jesus  sent.  This  mission  of  the  Apostles, 
which  took  place  in  March,  should  be  distinguished  from  that  of 
the  seventy-two  disciples  in  the  following  October  or  November. 

Go  ye  not  into  the  way  of  the  Gentiles;  i.e.,  do  not  go  to 
preach  to  the  Gentiles,  or  to  those  in  the  cities  of  the  Samaritans. 
Our  Lord  wished  the  Apostles  not  to  preach  among  the  Gentiles 
until  after  His  Resurrection.  And  He  likewise  excluded  the 
Samaritans  because  they  had  strayed  away  from  the  true  and  pure 
worship  of  Jehovah.  Ever  since  the  Assyrian  Captivity,,  the  people 
of  Samaria  had  been  under  the  control  of  the  Assyrian  Kings, 
and  because  they  had  united  the  worship  of  the  true  God  with  that 
of  idols,  they  were  commonly  despised  by  the  Jews.  When  the 
Jews  were  about  to  rebuild  the  Temple  of  Jerusalem,  the  Samari- 
tans offered  their  assistance ;  but,  this  having  been  rejected,  the 
Samaritans  erected  a  rival  temple  on  Mount  Garizim,  near  the  city 
of  Samaria,  where  victims  were  offered  as  at  Jerusalem.  From 
this,  the  Samaritans  considered  themselves  to  be  true  Israelites,  who 


ST.  MATTHEW  X,  6-10  65 

6.  But  go  ye  rather  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel. 

7.  And  going,  preach,  saying:  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand. 

8.  Heal  the  sick,  raise  the  dead,  cleanse  the  lepers,  cast  out  devils :  freely 
have  you  received,  freely  give. 

9.  Do  not  possess  gold,  nor  silver,  nor  money  in  your  purses : 

10.  Nor  scrip  for  your  journey,  nor  two  coats,  nor  shoes,  nor  a  staff;  for 
the  workman  is  worthy  of  his  meat. 


preserved  intact  the  observance  of  the  Law  of  Moses.  Neverthe- 
less, because  of  their  pagan  practices  and  the  pagan  rulers  who  con- 
trolled them,  our  Lord  here  mentions  them  in  connection  with  the 
Gentiles. 

6.  Lost  sheep  of  Israel;  i.e.,  the  Jews,  who  had  become  spirit- 
ually lost.  Let  it  be  observed  here  that  the  preceding  precepts  to 
avoid  the  Gentiles  and  the  Samaritans  were  to  be  in  force  only 
during  our  Lord's  lifetime,  for,  after  His  Resurrection,  He  gave 
the  unlimited  command  to  preach  the  Gospel  to  all  nations,  "  Going 
therefore  teach  ye  all  nations"  (Matt,  xxviii.  19). 

7.  Kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand;  i.e.,  the  reign  of  the  Messiah, 
which  was  the  prekide  to  the  establishment  of  the  Church  of  Christ. 
Sometimes  the  "  Kingdom  of  God  "  means  the  reign  of  grace  in 
the  heart.  '*  Kingdom  of  heaven  "  is  also  used  when  speaking  of 
the  life  hereafter.     See  on  iii.  2. 

8.  Freely  you  have  received,  etc. ;  i.e.,  as  you  have  been  gratui- 
tously given  these  spiritual  powers,  exercise  them  in  behalf  of 
others  without  material  compensation. 

Heal  the  sick,  etc.  These  miraculous  works  were  to  be  the  signs 
and  proofs  of  the  divine  mission  of  the  Apostles. 

9.  10.  Do  not  possess  gold,  etc.  This  precept  most  probably 
refers  principally  to  the  mission  of  the  Apostles  among  the  Jews, 
as  would  appear  from  Luke  xxii.  35.  However,  it  doubtless  has 
reference  also  to  the  spirit  of  detachment  from  earthly  goods,  and 
the  entire  reliance  on  God's  Providence  which  ought  to  characterize 
every  minister  of  the  Gospel.  The  general  meaning  of  this  passage 
is  that  everything  not  essential  should  be  discarded. 

Scrip  was  a  satchel  or  small  bag  for  food,  bread,  drink,  etc. 

Nor  staff.  See  Mark  vi.  8,  which  reads,  ''  but  a  staff  only."  It 
is  most  probable  that  two  different  kinds  of  staff  are  here  referred 
to  by  Sts.  Matthew  and  Mark  ;  the  former  speaking  of  the  weapon 


66  ST.  MATTHEW  X,  11-15 

11.  And  into  whatsoever  city  or  town  you  shall  enter,  inquire  who  in  it  is 
worthy,  and  there  abide  till  you  go  thence. 

12.  And  when  you  come  into  the  house,  salute  it,  saying :  Peace  be  to  this 
house. 

13.  And  if  that  house  be  worthy,  your  peace  shall  come  upon  it;  but  if  it 
be  not  worthy,  your  peace  shall  return  to  you. 

14.  And  whosoever  shall  not  receive  you,  nor  hear  your  words :  going  forth 
out  of  that  house  or  city  shake  off  the  dust  from  your  feet. 

15.  Amen  I  say  to  you,  it  shall  be  more  tolerable  for  the  land  of  Sodom 
and  Gomorrha  in  the  day  of  judgment,  than  for  that  city. 

for  oflfence  and  defence,  the  latter  referring  only  to  the  stick  used 
as  a  support  in  walking  in  Oriental  countries. 

For  the  workman  is  worthy,  etc.  The  Apostles,  as  they  pro- 
ceeded, were  to  receive  what  was  necessary  in  food  and  clothing 
from  those  whose  sick  they  cured  and  whose  dead  they  raised  to 
life.  They  were  not  to  get  a  complete  recompense  for  their  labors, 
because  spiritual  works  are  beyond  all  price. 

11.  Who  in  it  is  worthy;  i.e.,  who  is  distinguished  for  a  good 
and  religious  life.  Prudence  and  care  in  the  choice  of  their  lodg- 
ings were  here  enjoined  upon  the  Apostles. 

12.  Peace  be  to  this  house;  i.e.,  to  the  inhabitants  of  this  house. 

13.  Your  peace  shall  return,  etc.;  i.e.,  although  rebuffed,  you 
shall  not  lose  the  peace  of  God  which  is  with  you,  and  your  future 
reward  shall  not  be  lost. 

14.  Shake  off  the  dust,  etc.  This  action  would  be  a  testimony 
on  the  day  of  judgment  against  the  incredulity  of  those  who  re- 
jected the  Apostles.  Sts.  Paul  and  Barnabas  literally  observed 
this  precept.  Cf.  Acts  xiii.  51  ;  xviii.  6.  To  shake  the  dust  from 
their  feet  was  a  sign  that  those  who  rejected  them  had  sinned  by 
so  doing. 

15.  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  etc.  Those  who  rejected  the  Apostles' 
ministry  and  preaching  shall  be  treated  more  severely  hereafter 
than  were  the  Sodomites,  whom  fire  from  heaven  destroyed.  It 
seems  that  the  instructions  thus  far  given  were  intended  only  for 
the  Jewish  mission  of  the  Apostles.  Our  Lord  now  proceeds  to 
give  important  general  instructions  for  the  guidance  of  His  minis- 
ters for  all  time  and  in  all  places.  It  is  most  likely  also  that  St. 
Matthew  has  here  gathered  together  all  that  our  Lord  said  on 
several  different  occasions,  as  was  probably  the  case  also  with  the 
Sermon  on  the  Mount. 


ST.  MATTHEW  X,  16-22  67 

16.  Behold  1  send  you  as  slieep  in  the  midst  of  wolves.  Be  yc  therefore 
wise  as  serpents  and  simple  as  doves. 

17.  But  beware  of  men.  For  they  will  deliver  you  up  in  councils,  and  they 
will  scourge  you  in  their  synagogues. 

18.  And  you  shall  be  brought  before  governors,  and  before  kings  for  my 
sake,  for  a  testimony  to  them  and  to  the  Gentiles ; 

19.  But  when  they  shall  deliver  you  up,  take  no  thought  how  or  what  to 
speak :  for  it  shall  be  given  you  in  that  hour  what  to  speak. 

20.  For  it  is  not  you  that  speak,  but  the  Spirit  of  your  Father  that  speaketh 
in  you. 

21.  The  brother  also  shall  deliver  up  the  brother  to  death,  and  the  father 
the  son ;  and  the  children  shall  ri.se  up  against  their  parents,  and  shall  put  them 
to  death. 

22.  And  you  shall  be  hated  by  all  men  for  my  name's  sake :  but  he  that  shall 
persevere  unto  the  end,  he  shall  be  saved. 


16.  Sheep  in  the  midst  of  wolves.  "  So  long  as  we  are  sheep," 
says  St.  Chrysostom,  "  we  are  victorious,  though  a  thousand  wolves 
surround  us ;  but  if  we  turn  into  wolves,  we  are  beaten,  for  the  aid 
of  our  Shepherd  is  withdrawn  from  us :  He  is  the  Shepherd,  not 
of  wolves,  but  of  sheep."' 

Wise  as  serpents;  i.e.,  the  minister  of  the  Gospel  must  endeavor 
to  avoid  all  dangers  to  his  work  on  the  part  of  men ;  on  the  other 
hand,  he  must  bear  with  the  mildness  of  a  dove  all  injuries  received. 

17.  Beware  of  men;  i.e.,  of  the  enemies  of  the  Gospel. 
Councils.    The   Council   was   a   local   tribunal,   where  offenders 

were  tried  and  punished.  See  on  v.  21.  The  Jews  were  also  ac- 
customed to  scourge  in  their  synagogues  transgressors  of  their 
laws. 

18.  Brought  before  governors  and  kings;  i.e.,  to  be  tried  for 
life.  These  governors  and  kings  were  Gentile  authorities ;  thus 
St.  Paul  was  brought  before  the  governor  Festus  and  the  king 
Herod  Agrippa  H.     Cf.  Acts  xxv.  13. 

For  a  testimony;  i.e.,  of  the  truth  of  the  Gospel  to  the  Jews  and 
Gentiles. 

19.  Take  no  thought,  etc.  Our  Lord  here  warns  the  Apostles 
against  anxiety  as  to  what  they  will  say  or  do  in  the  day  of  trial. 
Having  done  in  advance  what  their  duty  required,  they  were  to 
put  away  anxiety  for  the  future,  and  rely  entirely  on  God. 

22.  Hated  by  all  men;  i.e.,  by  the  enemies  of  God  and  the 
Go.spel.    All  who  wish  to  serve  God  must  sufifer  and  be  persecuted 


68  ST.  MATTHEW  X,  23-31 

23.  And  when  they  shall  persecute  you  in  this  city,  flee  into  another.  Amen 
I  say  to  you,  you  shall  not  finish  all  the  cities  of  Israel,  till  the  Son  of  man 
come. 

24.  The  disciple  is  not  above  the  master,  nor  the  servant  above  his  lord. 

25.  It  is  enough  for  the  disciple  that  he  be  as  his  master,  and  the  servant 
as  his  lord.  If  they  have  called  the  goodman  of  the  house  Beelzebub,  how 
much  more  them  of  his  household? 

26.  Therefore  fear  them  not.  For  nothing  is  covered  that  shall  not  be  re- 
vealed :  nor  hid,  that  shall  not  be  known. 

27.  That  which  1  tell  you  in  the  dark,  speak  ye  in  the  light :  and  that  which 
you  hear  in  the  ear,  preach  ye  upon  the  housetops. 

28.  And  fear  ye  not  them  that  kill  the  body,  and  are  not  able  to  kill  the 
soul :  but  rather  fear  him  that  can  destroy  both  soul  and  body  in  hell. 

29.  Are  not  two  sparrows  sold  for  a  farthing?  and  not  one  of  them  shall 
fall  on  the  ground  without  your  Father. 

30.  But  the  very  hairs  of  your  head  are  all  numbered. 

31.  Fear  not  therefore:  better  are  you  than  many  sparrows. 

for  their  very  goodness ;  but,  if  they  persevere  in  spite  of  suffering, 
they  shall  be  saved. 

23.  You  shall  not  finish  all  the  cities  of  Israel.  These  words 
had  reference  not  only  to  the  short  mission  of  the  Apostles,  they 
are  a  rule  for  the  ministers  of  the  Gospel  for  all  time.  The  mean- 
ing most  probably  is:  There  will  always  be  places  to  which  you 
can  flee  for  protection  and  for  the  spreading  of  the  Gospel ;  and 
you  shall  not  have  converted  all  the  Jews  before  the  final  coming 
of  Christ. 

25.  The  good  man  of  the  house ;  i.e.,  Christ  Himself. 

Beelzebub  was  an  idol  of  the  Philistines,  and  was  an  object  of 
horror  and  hatred  to  the  Jews ;  hence  they  applied  this  name  to 
the  devil.     Literally,  the  word  means,  "  The  lord  of  flies." 

27.  Preach  upon  the  house-tops;  i.e.,  publicly.  The  houses  in 
Palestine  are  usually  only  one  story  high  and  have  flat  roofs ;  hence  a 
speaker  could  easily  address  a  crowd  speaking  from  the  housetops. 

28.  Fear  ye  not,  etc.  In  endeavoring  to  live  Christian  and  re- 
ligious lives,  the  Apostles  were  not  to  fear  men,  but  only  God ; 
and  this  fear  of  God  was  to  be  born  of  love. 

29-31.  Two  sparrows  are  sold  for  a  farthing,  etc.  The  mean- 
ing of  these  verses  is  that  if  God  so  carefully  provides  for  things 
of  such  little  worth  as  sparrows,  how  much  more  will  He  care  for 
us.  It  is  certain  that  God  exercises  a  direct  and  personal  Provi- 
dence over  each  one  of  His  rational  creatures. 


ST.  MATTHEW  X,  32-39  69 

32.  Every  one  therefore  that  shall  confess  me  before  men,  I  will  also  con- 
fess him  before  my  Father  who  is  in  heaven. 

33.  But  he  that  shall  deny  me  before  men,  1  will  also  deny  him  before  my 
Father  who  is  in  heaven. 

34.  Do  not  think  that  I  came  to  send  peace  upon  earth ;  I  came  not  to  send 
peace,  but  the  sword. 

35-  For  I  came  to  set  a  man  at  variance  against  his  father,  an^  the  daughter 
against  her  mother,  and  the  daughter  in  law  against  her  mother  in  law. 

36.  And  a  man's  enemies  shall  be  they  of  his  own  household. 

37.  He  that  loveth  father  or  mother  more  than  me,  is  not  worthy  of  me ; 
and  he  that  loveth  son  or  daughter  more  than  me,  is  not  worthy  of  me. 

38.  And  he  that  taketh  not  up  his  cross,  and  followeth  me,  is  not  worthy 
of  me. 

39'  He  that  findeth  his  life,  shall  lose  it:  and  he  that  shall  lose  his  life  for 
me,  shall  find  it. 

Fear  not,  therefore,  them,  etc. ;  i.e.,  let  the  servant  of  God  con- 
tinue to  serve  and  labor  for  God,  and  not  hesitate  to  trust  the 
goodness  of  Providence. 

32,  33.  Everyone  that  shall  confess  me,  etc.  The  meaning  is 
that  if  we  acknowledge  our  faith  in  Christ  here  on  earth,  He  will 
reward  us  hereafter;  but  if  we  deny  Him  here,  He  will  punish  us 
hereafter. 

34,  35-  I  come  not  to  send  peace,  etc.  Our  Lord  announces  in 
these  verses  that  what  He  seeks  among  men  is,  above  all,  faith  in 
Himself,  and  that  this  faith  may  often  separate  and  set  at  variance 
the  most  intimate  relationships.  He  is  the  "  Prince  of  Peace " 
(Isa.  ix.  6),  but  of  a  peace  that  is  holy  and  spiritual  and  lasting. 

36.  And  a  man's  enemies  shall  be  those  of  his  own  household. 
This  verse  is  quoted  from  Mich.  vii.  6.  The  words  refer  directly 
to  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Chaldeans,  and  the  prophet  is  fore- 
telling how,  in  the  day  of  sorrow,  many  will  turn  against  their 
own  to  save  themselves.  As  here  accommodated  by  our  Lord,  the 
words  mean  that  oftentimes  our  nearest  relatives  will  stand  be- 
tween us  and  God. 

37.  He  that  loveth  father,  or  mother,  etc.  In  this  verse,  our 
Saviour  declares  that  whenever  our  duties  to  God  collide  with  those 
to  any  creature,  however  close,  the  latter  must  yield  to  the  former. 

38.  His  cross.  He  who  does  not  willingly  and  patiently  bear 
the  trials  and  sufferings  which  Providence  sends  him,  is  not  worthv 
to  belong  to  Christ,  or  to  have  part  in  the  glory  of  Christ. 

39.  He  that  findeth  his  life,  etc.    These  words  mean  that  whoso- 


70  ST.  MATfHEW  X,  40-42;  XI,  1,    2 

40.  He  that  receiveth  you,  receiveth  me  :  and  he  that  receiveth  me,  receiv- 
eth  him  that  sent  me. 

41.  He  that  receiveth  a  prophet  in  the  name  of  a  prophet,  shall  receive  the 
reward  of  a  prophet :  and  he  that  receiveth  a  just  man  in  the  name  of  a  just 
man,  shall  receive  the  reward  of  a  just  man. 

42.  And  whosoever  shall  give  to  drink  to  one  of  these  little  ones  a  cup  of 
cold  water  only  in  the  name  of  a  disciple,  amen  I  say  to  you,  he  shall  not  lose 
his  reward. 

ever  will  deny  Christ  to  save  his  temporal  life,  shall  lose  the  life 
eternal ;  but  he  that  is  willing  to  sacrifice  his  temporal  existence, 
if  need  be,  for  the  sake  of  Christ  and  His  Gospel,  shall  gain  life 
everlasting.  Thus,  apostates,  to  save  their  present  life,  may  deny 
Christ,  but  only  to  lose  the  life  to  come. 

40,41.  Prophet  here  means  a  preacher  of  the  Gospel. 

In  the  name ;  i.e.,  on  the  faith  of  Christ. 

Reward  of  a  prophet;  i.e.,  shall  have  part  in  the  merits  of  a 
prophet,  and  a  consequent  part  in  his  glory. 

42.  One  of  these  little  ones,  etc. ;  i.e.,  the  least  of  my  disciples, 
or  of  those  who  believe  in  me. 


[CHAPTER  XI 

Jesus  and  the  Disciples  of  John  the  Baptist,  1-6. 
Jesus  Eulogizes  John,  but  Declares  that  he  is 
Less  than  the  Least  in  the  New  Kingdom, 

7-15- 
The  Incredulity  of  the  Jews,  16-19. 
Jesus  Upbraids  the  Impenitent  Cities,  20-24. 
Faith  is  Revealed  to  Little  Ones,  25-30. 

1.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Jesus  had  made  an  end  of  commanding  his 
twelve  disciples,  he  passed  from  thence,  to  teach  and  preach  in  their  cities. 

2.  Now  when  John  had  heard  in  prison  the  works  of  Christ :  sending  two 
of  his  disciples  he  said  to  him : 

1.  When  he  had  made  an  end  of  commanding;  i.e.,  when  He 
had  finished  instructing   {8iaT6<Tao}v)   His  disciples. 

In  their  cities  may  mean,  either  in  the  cities  of  Galilee,  or  in 
the  Jewish  cities  to  which  the  Apostles  were  sent  on  their  first 
mission. 

2.  John  sending  two  of  his  disciples.    This  message  preceded 


ST.  MATTHEW  XI,  3-6  71 

3.  Art  thou  he  that  art  to  come,  or  look  we  for  another  ? 

4.  And  Jesus  making  answer  said  to  them  :  Go  and  relate  to  John  what  you 
have  heard  and  seen. 

5.  The  blind  see,  the  lame  walk,  the  lepers  are  cleansed,  the  deaf  hear,  the 
dead  rise  again,  the  poor  have  the  gospel  preached  to  them. 

6.  And  blessed  is  he  that  shall  not  be  scandalized  in  me. 


the  mission  of  the  Apostles  (x.  5;  Luke  ix.  1-6).  John's  purpose 
in  sending  these  disciples  to  Jesus  was  to  convince  them  that  He 
was  the  Messiah.  It  is  certain  that  John  himself  had  no  doubts 
about  the  Messiahship  of  our  Lord,  for  he  had  proclaimed  Him  from 
His  mother's  womb' (Luke  i.  41)  ;  he  had  seen  the  descent  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  and  had  heard  the  testimony  of  the  Eternal  Father 
announcing  Jesus  as  His  Beloved  Son  on  the  banks  of  the  Jordan 
(Matthew  iii.  17)  ;  and  he  himself  had  borne  public  testimony  to 
our  Lord's  dignity  as  Messiah,  when  he  declared  himself  unworthy 
to  loose  the  latchet  of  His  shoes  (Mark  i.  7),  and  when  he  pointed 
Jesus  out  as  "  The  Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sins  of  the 
world  ''  (John  i.  29,  36).  The  reason,  therefore,  for  this  message  on 
the  part  of  John  was  to  convince  his  own  disciples  of  the  Messiahship 
of  Christ,  for  we  know  from  St.  Luke  (vii.  18)  that  the  disciples  of 
John  had  become  more  or  less  jealous  at  the  marvelous  works  of 
our  Lord  and  His  disciples.  Doubtless,  also,  John  wished  our  Lord 
to  manifest  Himself  more  openly  to  the  people  around. 

In  prison.  The  prison,  Josephus  tells  us,  was  at  Machaerus,  east 
of  the  Dead  Sea.  John  was  cast  into  prison  by  Herod  for  having 
condemned  his  adulterous  life  with  Herodias,  the  wife  of  his 
brother  Philip.     Cf.  Mark  vi.  16-18. 

3.  Art  thou  he?;  i.e.,  the  Messiah,  the  Redeemer. 

4-6.  What  you  have  heard  and  seen.  It  is  better  to  read, 
"  what  you  hear  and  see,"  namely,  the  miracles  which  were  being 
performed  in  the  midst  of  those  disciples. 

The  blind  see,  etc.  These  different  miracles  to  which  our  Lord 
referred  were  the  fulfillment  of  distinct  prophecies  uttered  by 
Isaias,  when  describing  the  future  character  of  the  Messiah  (Isa. 
XXXV.  5;  Ixi.   i). 

The  poor;  i.e.,  the  poor  in  spirit. 

Not  scandalized  in  me;  i.e.,  not  offended  or  shocked  at  the  con- 
trast between  My  hcavenlv  doctrine,  and  Mv  humble  life  and  future 


72  ST.  MATTHEW  XI,  7-11 

7.  And  when  they  went  their  way,  Jesus  began  to  say  to  the  multitudes 
concerning  John:  What  went  you  out  into  the  desert  to  see?  a  reed  shaken 
with  the  wind? 

8.  But  what  went  you  out  to  see?  a  man  clothed  in  soft  garments?  Behold 
they  that  are  clothed  in  soft  garments,  are  in  the  houses  of  kings. 

9.  But  what  went  you  out  to  see?  a  prophet?  yea  I  tell  you,  and  more  than 
a  prophet. 

10.  For  this  is  he  of  whom  it  is  written :  Behold  I  send  my  angel  before  thy 
face,  who  shall  prepare  thy  way  before  thee. 

11.  Amen  I  say  to  you,  there  hath  not  risen  among  them  that  are  born  of 
women  a  greater  than  John  the  Baptist :  yet  he  that  is  the  lesser  in  the  king- 
dom of  heaven  is  greater  than  he. 

death  on  the  cross.     St.  Paul  speaks  of  our  Lord's  death  as  "  the 
scandal  of  the  cross  "  ( Gal.  v.  1 1 ) . 

7.  A  reed  shaken,  etc. ;  i.e.,  a  weak,  inconstant  man,  bending 
with  every  blast. 

9.  More  than  a  prophet.  All  held  John  as  a  prophet  (Matthew 
xxi.  26),  and  this  our  Lord  now  confirms.  Although  John,  out  of  hu- 
mility, said  he  was  not  a  prophet,  our  Lord  here  proclaims  him  more 
than  a  prophet,  because  of  his  superior  vision  of  things  spiritual,  and 
because  of  the  wonderful  innocence  and  holiness  of  his  life. 

10.  My  angel;  i.e.,  John  the  Baptist,  whose  life  was  angelic,  and 
who  performed  the  office  of  an  angel  (Gr.  a77eXos)  by  announcing 
the  coming  of  Christ.    The  quotation  is  from  Malachy  iii.  i. 

Before  thy  face.  In  Malachy  (iii.  i)  we  read,  "my  face,  my 
way  " ;  but  there  the  prophet  was  speaking  in  the  name  of  -God  the 
Son,  and  hence  the  words  refer  to  Christ  speaking  of  Himself 
(St.  Jerome)  ;  here,  however,  they  are  the  words  of  the  Eternal 
Father  addressing  His  Son. 

Who  shall  prepare  thy  way;  i.e.,  by  moving  the  people  to  re- 
pentance, and  preparing  them  for  the  doctrine  of  Christ. 

11.  Greater  than  John  the  Baptist.  John  is  here  compared  with 
the  saints  of  the  Old  Testament,  none  of  whom  had  a  greater 
office,  and  none  of  whom  was  more  exalted  in  sanctity  and  spiritual 
gifts  than  he.  The  comparison  is  by  no  means  understood  to  em- 
brace the  Blessed  Virgin  and  the  Apostles,  who  belonged  to  the  New 
Dispensation. 

Yet  he  that  is  lesser,  etc.  Some,  following  St.  Jerome,  say  that 
"  kingdom  of  heaven,"  here  means  the  abode  of  the  Blessed,  every 
member  of  which  is  greater  than  John,  because  already  crowned 


ST.  MATTHEW  XI,  12-19  73 

12.  And  from  the  days  of  John  the  Baptist  until  now,  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  suffereth  violence,  and  the  violent  bear  it  away. 

13.  For  all  the  prophets  and  the  law  prophesied  until  John  : 

14.  And  if  you  will  receive  it,  he  is  Elias  that  is  to  come. 

15.  He  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear. 

16.  But  whereunto  shall  I  esteem  this  generation  to  be  like?  It  is  like  to 
children  sitting  in  the  market  place. 

17.  Who  crying  to  their  companions  say:  We  have  piped  to  you,  and  you 
have  not  danced :  we  have  lamented,  and  you  have  not  mourned. 

18.  For  John  came  neither  eating  nor  drinking;  and  they  say:  He  hath  a 
devil. 

19.  The  Son  of  man  came  eating  and  drinking,  and  they  say:  Behold  a  man 
that  is  a  glutton  and  a  wine  drinker,  a  friend  of  publicans  and  sinners.  And 
wisdom  is  justified  by  her  children. 

with  glory.  Others,  that  the  "  kingdom  of  heaven  "  in  the  present 
instance  means  the  Church,  the  least  of  whose  members  is  greater 
than  John  in  dignity  of  state.  That  is  to  say,  an  ordinary  Christian, 
under  the  New  Law,  has  greater  dignity  than  a  priest  or  prophet 
under  the  Old  Law.  The  whole  question  is  one  of  dignity  of  state, 
not  of  sanctity  of  life. 

12.  From  the  days  of  John,  etc. ;  i.e.,  from  the  beginning  of  his 
preaching.  It  would  seem  from  Luke  xvi.  16  that  the  time  here 
spoken  of  was  fully  two  years  after  the  beginning  of  the  Baptist's 
ministry.  These  words,  however,  might  have  been  spoken  on  two 
different  occasions. 

The  kingdom  of  heaven  suffereth  violence;  i.e.,  all  who  enter 
the  Church  and  live  according  to  its  teaching  must  suffer  much  and 
do  violence  to  their  own  passions.  Only  those  who  thus  exercise 
great  efforts  can  live  the  life  of  a  Christian  and  finally  bear  away 
the  prize  of  eternal  life. 

13.  Until  John.  John  the  Baptist  was  the  last  and  the  greatest 
of  the  prophets  of  the  Old  Law. 

14.  He  is  Elias;  i.e.,  in  spirit  and  in  power,  not  in  person.  Cf. 
Luke  i.  17;  John  i.  21.  Just  as  Elias  is  to  be  the  forerunner  of 
the  final  coming  of  Christ,  so  John  was  the  precursor  of  His  first 
coming.  Between  the  austere  life,  dress,  and  works  of  Elias  and 
those  of  John,  the  resemblance  was  striking. 

16-19.  The  generation  here  spoken  of  means  the  Scribes  and 
Pharisees.  Our  Lord  is  telling  them  in  these  verses  that  nothing 
is  able  to  move  them,  neither  the  austerity  of  the  Baptist,  nor  the 
meekness  and  forbearance  of  the  Saviour. 


74  ST.  MATTHEW  XI,  20-26 

20.  Then  began  he  to  upbraid  the  cities  wherein  were  done  the  most  of  his 
miracles,  for  that  they  had  not  done  penance. 

21.  Woe  to  thee,  Corozain,  woe  to  thee,  Bethsaida:  for  if  in  Tyre  and 
Sidon  had  been  wrought  the  miracles  that  have  been  wrought  in  you,  they  had 
long  ago  done  penance  in  sackcloth  and  ashes. 

22.  But  I  say  unto  you,  it  shall  be  more  tolerable  for  Tyre  and  Sidon  in  the 
day  of  judgment,  than  for  you. 

22,.  And  thou  Capharnaum,  shalt  thou  be  exalted  up  to  heaven?  thou  shalt 
go  down  even  unto  hell.  For  if  in  Sodom  had  been  wrought  the  miracles  that 
have  been  wrought  in  thee,  perhaps  it  had  remained  unto  this  day. 

24.  But  I  say  unto  you,  that  it  shall  be  more  tolerable  for  the  land  of 
Sodom  in  the  day  of  judgment,  than  for  thee. 

25.  At  that  time  Jesus  answered  and  said :  I  confess  to  thee,  O  Father, 
Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  because  thou  hast  hid  these  things  from  the  wise 
and  prudent,  and  hast  revealed  them  to  little  ones. 

26.  Yea,  Father ;  for  so  hath  it  seemed  good  in  thy  sight. 

Wisdom  is  justified,  etc. ;  i.e.,  the  counsels  and  plans  of  God  are 
wise  and  just,  even  though  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  through  their 
own  fault,  be  lost. 

By  her  children;  i.e.,  by  those  who  have  actually  embraced  the 
faith  of  Christ.    Cf.  Luke  vii.  35. 

20-24.  From  St.  Luke  (x.  12-15),  it  would  seem  that  these 
words  were  addressed  to  the  seventy-two  disciples  after  the  return 
from  their  mission,  and  before  sending  them  to  more  distant  places. 
The  Saviour  upbraids  the  cities  which  had  been  so  favored  by  His 
own  and  His  disciples'  preaching;  and  He  says  that,  if  the  neigh- 
boring Gentile  cities  had  been  equally  favored,  they  would  have 
been  far  more  responsive  to  the  voice  of  Christ. 

Sackcloth  and  ashes.  This  is  an  allusion  to  a  manner  of  per- 
forming extraordinary  penances  under  the  Old  Law,  when  the 
penitents  wore  sackcloth  and  sat  in  ashes. 

Capharnaum  was  the  city  in  Galilee  on  the  north-western  shore 
of  the  Lake  of  Genesareth  especially  loved  by  our  Lord,  and  yet 
He  laments  that  she  too  had  been  deaf  to  His  preaching. 

Shalt  thou  be  exalted?;  i.e.,  "thou  art  exalted"  (Luke  x.  15) 
by  reason  of  great  wealth  and  commerce,  as  well  as  by  My  preach- 
ing and  many  miracles ;  but  thou  shalt  come  down  to  hell,  i.e., 
thou  shalt  be  destroyed.  Hell  here  means  Hades,  the  underworld, 
or  the  grave;  not  Gehenna,  the  hell  of  fire. 

25.  At  that  time;  i.e..  on  the  return  of  the  seventy-two  disciples. 

I  confess  to  thee;  i.e.,  I  praise  Thee. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XI,  27-30  75 

27.  All  things  arc  delivered  to  me  by  my  Father.  And  no  one  knoweth  the 
Son,  but  the  Father :  neither  doth  any  one  know  the  Father,  but  the  Son,  and 
he  to  whom  it  shall  please  the  Son  to  reveal  him. 

28.  Come  to  me,  all  you  that  labour,  and  are  burdened,  and  I  will  refresh 
you. 

29.  Take  up  my  yoke  upon  you,  and  learn  of  me,  because  I  am  meek,  and 
humble  of  heart :  and  you  shall  find  rest  to  your  souls. 

30.  For  my  yoke  is  sweet  and  my  burden  light. 

Because  thou  hast  hid  these  things,  etc.  Our  Lord  rejoices, 
not  at  the  blindness  of  the  Pharisees,  but  at  the  justice  of  His 
Father  which  has  denied  to  their  unworthiness  the  hght  which  He, 
in  His  mercy,  has  given  to  Httle  ones,  i.e.,  to  the  humble  and  docile. 
In  a  similar  manner  St.  Paul  spoke  to  the  Romans  (vi.  17). 

27.  All  things  are  delivered  to  me,  etc.  These  and  the  follow- 
ing words  show  that  the  Father  and  the  Son  are  one. 

No  one  knoweth  the  Son,  etc.;  i.e.,  comprehensively  and  per- 
fectly no  one  knows  the  Son. 

Neither  doth  anyone  know  the  Father,  etc. ;  i.e.,  the  revelation 
of  the  Father  was  made  to  the  world  through  the  Son,  according 
to  St.  John  (xvii.  6),  "I  have  manifested  thy  name  to  men,"  etc. 
These  words  show  the  equality  of  the  Father  and  the  Son.  The 
Holy  Ghost  is  not  mentioned,  because  the  knowledge  which  the 
Father  and  Son  are  said  mutually  to  have  of  each  other  is  spoken 
of  as  denied  to  creatures  only.  Without  doubt  the  Holy  Ghost, 
who  is  consubstantial  with  the  Father  and  the  Son,  possesses  equal 
knowledge  with  Them.     {Smnma  Theol,  1^,  qu.  31,  a.  4). 

28.  Come  to  me.  Since  the  Father  and  the  Son  are  equal,  our 
Lord  now  invites  all  those  who  labor,  i.e.,  who  are  burdened  with 
spiritual  or  temporal  evils,  to  come  to  Him  for  rest. 

29.  My  yoke;  i.e.,  the  law  of  the  Gospel.  The  law  of  the  Gospel 
may  be  called  a  yoke,  since  it  imposes  certain  obligations  and  rules ; 
but  with  the  help  of  divine  grace,  which  the  New  Law  imparts,  the 
Gospel  is  a  light  yoke. 

Learn  of  me,  etc.  The  meaning  is  that,  no  matter  how  great  our 
sinfulness  and  lowliness,  we  must  not  hesitate  to  come  to  our  Lord, 
who  will  always  receive  us  with  kindness  and  gentleness,  unlike  the 
Scribes  and  Pharisees. 

30.  My  yoke  is  sweet,  etc. ;  i.e.,  is  light  in  comparison  with  the  yoke 
of  the  Mosaic  Law,  and  the  tyranny  of  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees. 


76  ST.  MATTHEW  XII,  1-4 


CHAPTER  XII 

Plucking  the  Ears  of  Corn  on  the  Sabbath,  1-9. 

The  Man  with  the  Withered  Hand,  10-14. 

The  Mildness  and  Humility  of  Jesus,  15-21. 

Jesus  and  Beelzebub,  22-30. 

The  Sin  Against  the  Holy  Ghost,  31-37. 

Jesus  Upbraids  the  Pharisees  ;  the  Sign  of  Jonas  ; 

THE  Unclean  Spirit,  38-45. 
The  Relatives  of  Jesus,  46-50. 

1.  At  that  time  Jesus  went  through  the  corn  on  the  sabbath  :  and  his  disciples 
being  hungry,  began  to  pluck  the  ears,  and  to  eat. 

2.  And  the  Pharisees  seeing  them,  said  to  him :  Behold  thy  disciples  do  that 
which  is  not  lawful  to  do  on  the  sabbath  days. 

3.  But  he  said  to  them :  Have  you  not  read  what  David  did  when  he  was 
hungry,  and  they  that  were  with  him : 

4.  How  he  entered  into  the  house  of  God,  and  did  eat  the  loaves  of  propo- 
sition, which  it  was  not  lawful  for  him  to  eat,  nor  for  them  that  were  with 
him,  but  for  the  priests  only? 

I.  At  that  time.  Frequently  these  words  are  used  in  the  Gospels 
without  reference  to  any  particular  period  of  time,  but  the  events 
now  spoken  of  took  place  in  the  month  of  April  or  May,  before 
the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  and  the  mission  of  the  Apostles.  Cf. 
Mark  ii.  23-28;  Luke  vi.  1-5. 

Sabbath;  i.e.,  the  day  of  rest  appointed  by  the  Jewish  Law  to 
be  kept  wholly  free  from  servile  work. 

To  pluck  the  ears.  According  to  Luke  ( vi.  i ) ,  "  they  rubbed 
the  ears  in  their  hands,"  which  was  allowed  by  Deut.  (xxiii.  25)  ; 
but  the  Pharisees  tried  to  make  out  of  the  action  of  the  disciples 
a  servile  work,  such  as  reaping,  or  thrashing  would  be;  and -hence 
they  complained. 

3,  4.  What  David  did,  etc.  From  i  Kings  xxi.  1-6,  where  the 
action  of  David  is  recorded,  it  would  seem  that  he  was  alone  at 
the  time,  his  companions  having  remained  a  little  behind  until  he 
brought  them  the  bread. 

The  house  of  God.    This  does  not  mean  the  Temple,  which  was 


ST.  MATTHEW  XII,  5-9  -j-j 

5.  Or  have  ye  not  read  in  the  law,  that  on  the  sabbath  days  the  priests  in 
the  temple  break  the  sabbath,  and  are  without  blame? 

6.  But  I  tell  you  that  there  is  here  a  greater  than  the  temple. 

7.  And  if  you  knew  what  this  meaneth :  I  will  have  mercy,  and  not  sacri- 
fice :  you  would  never  have  condemned  the  innocent. 

8.  For  the  Son  of  man  is  Lord  even  of  the  sabbath. 

9.  And  when  he  had  passed  from  thence,  he  came  into  their  synagogues. 


not  then  built,,  but  the  Tabernacle,  or  hall,  near  it,  before  which 
twelve  loaves  of  proposition  or  "  shew-bread  "  were  placed  each 
week.  This  bread  was  changed  every  Sabbath,  and  the  loaves 
removed  were  to  be  eaten  by  the  priests  only.  Cf.  Lev.  xxiv.  5-9. 
Neither  David  nor  his  companions  had  any  right  ordinarily  to  eat 
this  bread,  yet  because  of  great  necessity  they  did  lawfully  partake 
of  it;  and  this,  it  seems,  was  done  on  the  Sabbath.  If,  therefore, 
on  account  of  hunger  it  was  lawful  for  David  and  his  companions 
to  take  and  eat  on  the  Sabbath  the  bread  which  was  consecrated 
to  God,  and  intended  for  the  priests  only,  how  much  more  lawful 
was  it  for  our  Lord's  own  disciples  to  satisfy  their  hunger  on  the 
Sabbath  day  by  eating  ears  of  corn  which  were  not  consecrated  to 
God! 

5.  The  law;  i.e..  of  Moses.     Cf.  Num.  xxviii.  9. 

Break  the  sabbath;  i.e.,  by  performing  the  servile  works  of 
sacrificing  two  lambs  in  the  morning  and  two  in  the  evening,  which 
was  prescribed  by  the  Law.     Cf.  Num.  xxviii.  3-10. 

6.  Here  a  greater  than  the  temple.  If  it  was  lawful  to  per- 
form servile  works  for  the  service  of  the  Temple,  how  much  more 
so  for  the  sake  of  Him  who  is  Lord  of  the  Temple  and  all ;  namely, 
Christ  Himself ! 

7.  Mercy  and  not  sacrifice.  The  meaning  is  that  mercy  is  to  be 
preferred  to  sacrifice :  to  feed  the  hungry  and  starving  is  better  than 
to  sacrifice  lambs  in  the  Temple.  The  quotation  is  from  i  Kings 
XV.  22. 

The  innocent;  i.e.,  the  disciples  who  plucked  the  ears  of 
corn. 

8.  Son  of  man;  i.e.,  Christ,  the  Messiah,  who  is  greater  than  the 
Sabbath,  and  Master  of  it. 

9.  Came  into  their  synagogues.  This  event  took  place  on  an- 
other Sabbath  day,  as  we  learn  from  Luke  (vi.  6-11). 


78  ST.  MATTHEW  XII,  10-22 

10.  And  behold  there  was  a  man  who  had  a  withered  hand,  and  they  asked  him, 
saying:  Is  it  lawful  to  heal  on  sabbath  days?  that  they  might  accuse  him. 

11.  But  he  said  to  them:  What  man  shall  there  be  among  you,  that  hath 
one  sheep:  and  if  the  same  fall  into  a  pit  on  the  sabbath  day,  will  he  not  take 
hold  on  it  and  lift  it  up? 

12.  How  much  better  is  a  man  than  a  sheep?  Therefore  it  is  lawful  to  do 
a  good  deed  on  the  sabbath  days. 

13.  Then  he  saith  to  the  man :  Stretch  forth  thy  hand ;  and  he  stretched  it 
forth,  and  it  was  restored  to  health  even  as  the  other. 

14.  And  the  Pharisees  going  out  made  a  consultation  against  him,  how  they 
might  destroy  him. 

15.  But  Jesus  knowing  it,  retired  from  thence :  and  many  followed  him. 
and  he  healed  them  all. 

16.  And  he  charged  them  that  they  should  not  make  him  known. 

17.  That  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  was  spoken  by  Isaias  the  prophet  saying  : 

18.  Behold  my  servant  whom  I  have  chosen,  my  beloved  in  whom  my  soul 
hath  been  well  pleased.  I  will  put  my  spirit  upon  him,  and  he  shall  shew  judg- 
ment to  the  Gentiles. 

ig.  He  shall  not  contend,  nor  cry  out,  neither  shall  any  man  hear  his  voice 
in  the  streets. 

20.  The  bruised  reed  he  shall  not  break :  and  smoking  flax  he  shall  not  ex- 
tinguish :  till  he  send  forth  judgment  unto  victory. 

21.  And  in  his  name  the  Gentiles  shall  hope. 

22.  Then  was  offered  to  him  one  possessed  with  a  devil,  blind  and  dumb : 
and  he  healed  hira,  so  that  he  spoke  and  saw. 

10-13.  They  asked  him.  According  to  Mark  (iii.  4)  and  Luke 
( vi.  9) ,  He  asked  them  ;  but  since  the  questions  asked  could  easily  have 
been  entirely  different,  there  is  no  reason  for  supposing  a  contradic- 
tion. The  argument  our  Lord  used  is  an  a  fortiori  one :  If  it  is  lawful, 
as  the  Pharisees  admit,  to  save  the  life  of  a  sheep  on  the  Sabbath  day, 
how  much  more  lawful  is  it  to  save  the  life  of  a  man. 

14.  Made  a  consultation.  This  consultation  of  the  Pharisees 
took  place  in  the  early  part  of  the  second  year  of  the  public  ministry. 
The  Pharisees  were  simply  enraged  against  our  Lord  for  the 
miracle  He  had  performed ;  and  thus,  for  the  second  time,  there  was 
talk  of  putting  Him  to  death.  His  own  fellow-townsmen  of  Naza- 
reth had  attempted  to  kill  Him  the  year  before  (Luke  iv.  29). 

15,  16.  Our  Lord  now  retired  to  the  shore  of  the  lake  ( Mark  iii.  7 ) . 
where  He  healed  the  sick  of  those  who  followed  Him.  He  did  not 
wish  to  excite  His  enemies  too  much,  lest  they  should  hasten  His  death, 
and  thus  cut  short  the  work  He  had  to  perform.  This  is  why  our 
Lord  did  not  wish  His  miracles  to  become  too  publicly  known. 

17-21.    These   verses    refer   to   the   Messianic   prophecy   of    Isa. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XII,  23-27  79 

2i.  And  all  the  multitudes  were  amazed,  and  said  :  Is  not  this  the  son  of 
David  ? 

24.  But  the  Pharisees  hearing  it,  said :  This  man  casteth  not  out  devils  but 
by  Beelzebub  the  prince  of  the  devils. 

25.  And  Jesus  knowing  their  thoughts,  said  to  them:  Every  kingdom 
divided  against  itself  shall  be  made  desolate :  and  every  city  or  house  divided 
against  itself  shall  not  stand. 

26.  And  if  Satan  cast  out  Satan,  he  is  divided  against  himself:  how  then 
shall  his  kingdom  stand? 

27.  And  if  I  by  Beelzebub  cast  out  devils,  by  whom  do  your  children  cast 
them  out?    Therefore  they  shall  be  your  judges. 

xlii.  1-4,  which  describes  the  character  of  our  Lord,  and  foretells 
His  office  of  Redeemer  in  dealing  with  the  souls  of  men. 

My  servant;  i.e.,  Christ  Jesus,  as  man.  Through  the  prophet 
Almighty  God  is  speaking  of  the  human  character  and  actions  of 
His  beloved  Son,  as  Redeemer.    Cf.  Philip  ii.  7. 

My  spirit  upon  him,  refers  to  the  special  gifts  of  the  Holy 
Spirit  which  were  promised  to  Christ.     Cf.  Isa.  xi.  2. 

He  shall  show  judgment;  i.e.,  He  shall  manifest  the  righteous 
decrees  of  the  Father. 

He  shall  not  contend,  etc. ;  i.e.,  He  shall  be  meek  and  gentle  and 
merciful,  avoiding  all  the  ostentation  and  boisterousness  of  men. 

The  bruised  reed,  etc.  Reference  is  here  made  to  the  gentleness 
of  our  Lord's  dealings  with  the  weak  and  sinful;  all  His  actions 
were  to  be  characterized  by  meekness  and  mercy,  even  in  dealing 
with  His  adversaries. 

Till  he  send  forth  judgment;  i.e.,  in  the  end  it  shall  be  shown 
that  the  condemnation  and  rejection  of  His  enemies  have  been 
merited  by  their  own  sinfulness. 

The  gentiles  shall  hope,  a  direct  quotation  from  the  Septua- 
gint ;  translated  from  the  Hebrew,  the  passage  would  be :  "  For 
his  law  the  islands  shall  wait."  The  meaning  is  the  same  in  both 
versions,  since  the  term  "  islands  "  refers  to  the  Gentiles  living  be- 
yond the  sea.  Our  Lord  was  to  be  the  hope  and  salvation  of  all 
the  world,  of  the  Gentiles  as  well  as  the  Jews. 

23.  Son  of  David;  i.e.,  the  Messiah,  who  was  to  come  from  the 
"  seed,"  or  line  of  David.     See  on  i.  i. 

24.  Beelzebub.    See  on  x.  25. 

26.  His  kingdom;  i.e.,  Satan's  reign  of  sin  among  men. 

27.  Your  children;  i.e.,  the  Jewish  exorcists,  who  cast  out  devils 


8o  ST.  MATTHEW  XII,  28-31 

28.  But  if  I  by  the  Spirit  of  God  cast  out  devils,  then  is  the  kingdom  of 
God  come  upon  you. 

29.  Or  how  can  any  one  enter  into  the  house  of  the  strong,  and  rifle  his 
goods,  unless  he  first  bind  the  strong?  and  then  he  will  rifle  his  house. 

30.  He  that  is  not  with  me,  is  against  me :  and  he  that  gathereth  not  with 
me,  scattereth. 

31.  Therefore  I  say  to  you  :  Every  sin  and  blasphemy  shall  be  forgiven  men, 
but  the  blasphemy  of  the  Spirit  shall  not  be  forgiven. 

by  the  invocation  of  God ;  examples  of  these  are  found  in  Mark 
ix.  37;  Luke  ix.  49;  Acts  xix.  13. 

They  shall  be  your  judges;  i.e.,  they  shall  be  witnesses  of  the 
insincerity  and  malice  of  your  accusation  against  Me.  Since  the 
Jews  admitted  that  their  children  could,  by  the  invocation  of  divine 
power,  cast  out  evil  spirits,  nothing  but  malice  could  prompt  them 
to  attribute  the  miracles  of  our  Lord  to  other  than  divine 
power. 

28.  By  the  spirit  of  God,  etc.  The  power  of  casting  out  evil 
spirits  is  due,  in  an  especial  manner,  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  the  Spirit 
of  Truth.  Since  then  the  miracles  of  our  Lord,  wrought  in  proof 
of  His  claims,  were  performed  by  the  help  of  this  Holy  Spirit,  they 
were  a  sign  that  Christ  was  a  Divine  Person,  and  that  the  reign 
of  the  Messiah  was  at  hand.     See  on  i.  18. 

29.  Rifle  his  goods.  The  meaning  is  that,  in  order  to  cast  out 
the  evil  spirit  from  the  body,  one  must  be  stronger  than  that  evil 
spirit;  that  is,  he  must  be  more  powerful  than  Satan. 

30.  He  that  is  not  with  me,  etc. ;  i.e.,  he  who  is  not  inwardly 
and  positively  with  Me  is  opposed  to  Me,  even  though  he  perform 
no  external  acts ;  thus  Satan,  and  likewise  the  Pharisees,  were 
always  internally  opposed  to  Christ.  In  Mark  (ix.  39)  and  Luke 
(ix.  50)  we  read :  "  he  that  is  not  against  you  is  for  you."  The  two 
passages,  however,  are  not  opposed.  Here,  in  Matthew,  there  is 
question  of  real,  positive,  internal  opposition,  such  as  was  evident 
on  the  part  of  the  Pharisees ;  but  in  the  passages  cited,  our  Lord 
is  simply  instructing  His  Apostles  to  make  use  of  every  opportunity 
to  spread  the  Gospel ;  and  He  wishes  to  say  that  they  must  not  be 
discouraged  or  hindered  in  their  labors  if  all  do  not  agree  with 
them  and  join  them ;  all  may  be  considered  with  them,  as  long  as 
no  positive  opposition  is  manifested. 

31.  The  blasphemy  of  the  Spirit  shall  not,  etc.    The  miracles 


ST.  MATTHEW  XII,  32-34  8i 

32.  And  whosoever  shall  speak  a  word  against  the  Son  of  man,  it  shall  be 
forgiven  him  :  but  he  that  shall  speak  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  it  shall  not  be 
forgiven  him,  neither  in  this  world,  nor  in  the  world  to  come. 

3;^.  Either  make  the  tree  good  and  its  fruit  good :  or  make  the  tree  evil, 
and  its  fruit  evil.    For  by  the  fruit  the  tree  is  known. 

34.  O  generation  of  vipers,  how  can  you  speak  good  things,  whereas  you 
are  evil  ?  for  out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh. 

which  our  Lord  had  been  performing,  and  which  the  Pharisees 
had  attributed  to  the  power  of  the  devil,  were  in  a  special  man- 
ner the  works  of  the  Holy  Ghost;  and  hence  the  Pharisees  by 
attributing-  them  to  the  devil  were  guilty  of  blasphemy.  It  is 
blasphemy  to  ascribe  to  the  devil  the  works  of  God.  Our  Lord 
does  not  wish  to  say  in  this  passage  that  there  is  any  sin  beyond 
His  power,  or  the  power  of  His  Church,  to  forgive;  but  only 
that  sins  directly  opposed  to  light  and  grace,  such  as  were  the 
sins  of  the  Pharisees,  are  seldom,  and  with  great  difficulty,  for- 
given, simply  because  of  the  obduracy  and  malice  of  those  who 
commit  them.  These  sins  against  light,  therefore,  are  said  not 
to  be  forgiven,  i.e.,  they  are  forgiven  with  great  difficulty,  if  at 
all,  only  on  account  of  the  bad  dispositions  of  those  who  commit 
them. 

^2.  The  son  of  man;  i.e.,  our  Lord  in  His  human  nature. 
The  passage  means  that,  if  any  one  should  be  guilty  of  some 
lesser  sin  against  Christ  as  man,  —  as  when  they  accused 
Him  of  being  a  wine-bibber  and  a  friend  of  sinners,  etc.,  —  it 
would  be  forgiven  without  much  difficulty.  The  reason  is,  be- 
cause ignorance  rather  than  malice  lies  at  the  bottom  of  these 
sins. 

Nor  in  the  world  to  come.  These  words  clearly  imply  that  there 
is  a  future  state  in  which  some  sins  shall  be  forgiven  or  purged 
away.  Thus  in  purgatory  venial  sins  are  forgiven,  as  well  as  the 
temporal  punishment  due  to  sin.  (S.  Th.,  qu.  7  de  Malo,  a.  ix.  ad  g 
et  I.)  Moreover,  these  words  demonstrate  the  eternity  of  the  pun- 
ishment of  hell. 

33.  In  this  verse  our  Lord  wishes  to  show  that  His  condemnation 
by  the  Pharisees  was  unwarranted,  because  the  good  works  which 
He  had  performed  should  have  been  to  them  a  proof  of  His 
goodness. 

34.  O  generation  of  vipers.    The  Pharisees  were  wont  to  speak 


82  ST.  MArrHEW  XII,  35-41 

35.  A  good  man  out  of  a  good  treasure  bringeth  forth  good  things :  and  an 
evil  man  out  of  an  evil  treasure  bringeth  forth  evil  things. 

T)6.  But  I  say  unto  you,  that  every  idle  word  that  men  shall  speak,  they  shall 
render  an  account  for  it  in  the  day  of  judgment. 

27.  For  by  thy  words  thou  shalt  be  justified,  and  by  thy  words  thou  shalt 
be  condemned. 

38.  Then  some  of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  answered  him,  saying :  Master 
we  would  see  a  sign  from  thee. 

39.  Who  answering  said  to  them :  An  evil  and  adulterous  generation  seek- 
eth  a  sign :  and  a  sign  shall  not  be  given  it,  but  the  sign  of  Jonas  the  prophet. 

40.  For  as  Jonas  was  in  the  whale's  belly  three  days  and  three  nights :  so 
shall  the  Son  of  man  be  in  the  heart  of  the  earth  three  days  and  three  nights. 

41.  The  men  of  Ninive  shall  rise  in  judgment  with  this  generation,  and 
shall  condemn  it :  because  they  did  penance  at  the  preaching  of  Jonas.  And 
behold  a  greater  than  Jonas  here. 


of  Abraham  as  their  father;  but  here  our  Lord  calls  them  the  off- 
spring of  the  "  Old  Serpent." 

35.  The  virtues  or  vices  that  are  stored  in  the  heart  and  soul  are 
the  source  of  the  actions  which  proceed  from  a  man. 

36.  Idle  word  is  usually  interpreted  to  be  something  of  no  profit 
to  the  one  who  utters  it,  or  to  those  who  hear  it. 

By  thy  words  thou  shalt  be  condemned.  This  does  not  mean 
that  one  is  to  be  accountable  for  his  words  only,  but  under  words 
are  implied  thoughts  and  deeds  also. 

38.  A  sign.  To  cover  up  their  insincerity,  the  Pharisees  now 
asked  our  Lord  to  perform  some  extraordinary  miracle,  like  calling 
down  fire  from  heaven;  hut  he  refused  to  give  them  any  further 
signs  of  His  Divinity,  knowing  that  they  would  not  profit  by  them. 
Instead  of  giving  them  a  sign  from  heaven  He  pointed  to  a  sign 
which  should  come  from  the  bowels  of  the  earth ;  namely,  His 
Resurrection. 

39.  Adulterous  generation;  i.e.,  a  faithless,  degenerate  race,  who 
had  fallen  from  the  virtuous  practices  of  their  fore-fathers. 

But  the  sign  of  Jonas  the  prophet.  Our  Lord  refused  to  grant 
the  Pharisees  a  sign  from  heaven,  and  instead  pointed  to  His  com- 
ing death  and  Resurrection,  of  which  latter,  the  sign  of  Jonas  was 
a  type.     Cf.  Jonas  ii.  t. 

40.  Three  days  and  three  nights;  i.e.,  parts  of  three  natural 
days  and  nighfs;  namely,  part  of  Friday,  all  of  Saturday,  and  part 
of  Sundav. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XII,  42^7  83 

42.  The  queen  of  the  south  shall  rise  in  judgment  with  this  generation,  and 
shall  condemn  it:  because  she  came  from  the  ends  of  the  earth  to  hear  the 
wisdom  of  Solomon,  and  behold  a  greater  than  Solomon  here. 

43.  And  when  an  unclean  spirit  is  gone  out  of  a  man  he  walketh  through 
dry  places  seeking  rest,  and  findeth  none. 

44.  Then  he  saith :  I  will  return  into  my  house  from  whence  I  came  out. 
And  coming  he  findeth  it  empty,  swept,  and  garnished. 

45.  Then  he  goeth,  and  taketh  with  him  seven  other  spirits  more  wicked 
than  himself,  and  they  enter  in  and  dwell  there :  and  the  last  state  of  that  man 
is  made  worse  than  the  first.    So  shall  it  be  also  to  this  wicked  generation. 

46.  As  he  was  yet  speaking  to  the  multitudes,  behold  his  mother  and  his 
brethren  stood  without,  seeking  to  speak  to  him. 

47.  And  one  said  unto  him :  Behold  thy  mother  and  thy  brethren  stand 
without,  seeking  thee. 

42.  Queen  of  the  south;  i.e.,  the  Queen  of  Saba,  or  Sheba,  in 
Arabia.    Cf.  3  Kings  x.  i-io. 

43.  Unclean  spirit,  etc. ;  i.e.,  when  a  devil,  by  the  grace  of  God, 
has  been  expelled  from  the  human  body,  it  walketh  through  dry, 
i.e.,  desert,  waterless  places,  etc.  "  Desert  places  "  were  considered 
by  the  Jews  to  be  the  haunts  of  demons  and  evil  spirits.  Probably, 
however,  our  Lord  in  this  parable  is  merely  comparing  the  action 
of  the  devil  to  that  of  a  man  who  has  been  driven  from  his  house. 

44.  Empty,  swept  and  garnished;  i.e.,  devoid  of  virtues  and  the 
grace  of  God,  possessing  nothing  to  forbid  the  re-entrance  of  the 
unclean  spirit. 

45.  Seven  other  spirits.  ''  Seven  "'  was  an  Oriental  term  used 
to  designate  an  indefinite  number.  Our  Lord  here  applies  the  fore- 
going similitude  to  the  Jews,  from  whose  midst  the  sway  of  Satan 
had  been  expelled  by  the  Law  and  by  God's  special  Providence ;  but 
who,  by  their  unfaithfulness  to  the  graces  received,  merited  a  com- 
plete domination  and  enslavement  by  the  devil. 

46.  His  brethren;  i.e.,  His  cousins,  most  probably  the  children 
of  Mary,  the  cousin  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  and  wife  of  Alpheus  or 
Cleophas.  It  was  customary  among  the  Jews  to  speak  of  cousins  as 
brethren.  In  fact  the  term  brother  in  Hebrew  may  mean  cousin, 
kinsman,  friend,  or  felloiv-coiintryniau.  For  such  usages  of  the 
word,  cf.  Gen.  xii.  5  ;  xiii.  8;  also  Matthew  xiii.  55  and  Mark  vi.  3, 
where  James,  Joseph,  Simon,  and  Jude  are  called  brethren  of  our 
Lord.  James,  Judo,  and  probably  Simon  we  know  were  also 
Apostles.     Cf.  Rom.  i.  13;  ix.  3,  4. 


84  ST.  MATTHEW  XII,  48-50;  XIII,  1,  2 

48.  But  he  answering  him  that  told  him,  said :  Who  is  my  mother,  and  who 
are  my  brethren  ? 

49.  And  stretching  forth  his  hand  towards  his  disciples,  he  said:  Behold  my 
mother  and  my  brethren. 

50.  For  whosoever  shall  do  the  will  of  my  Father,  that  is  in  heaven,  he  is 
my  brother,  and  sister,  and  mother. 

48-50.  From  these  verses  it  would  be  very  wrong  to  conclude 
that  our  Lord  wished  to  deny,  or  in  any  way  slight  His  Blessed 
Mother  and  His  relatives.  He  wished  simply  to  call  attention 
to  the  fact  that  there  is  a  more  intimate  relationship  between  the 
soul  and  God  than  any  which  springs  from  merely  natural  ties ; 
and  in  this  higher  relationship,  He  knew  that  His  Blessed  Mother 
participated  more  perfectly  than  any  other  creature. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

The  Parable  of  the  Sower,  1-23. 

The  Good  Seed  and  the  Cockle,  24-30. 

The  Grain  of  Mustard  Seed,  31,  32. 

The  Leaven,  33-35. 

Jesus  Explains  the  Parable  of  the  Cockle,  36-43. 

The  Treasure,  the  Pearl,  the  Drawnet,  44-52. 

Jesus  Goes  to  Nazareth,  53-58. 

1.  The  same  day  Jesus  going  out  of  the  house,  sat  by  the  sea  side. 

2.  And  great  multitudes  were  gathered  together  unto  him,  so  that  he  went 
up  into  a  boat  and  sat :  and  all  the  multitude  stood  on  the  shore. 

I.  The  events  here  narrated  followed  immediately  after  those 
mentioned  in  the  last  chapter,  perhaps  the  samle  day,  toward 
evening. 

Jesus  going  out  of  the  house;  i.e.,  it  Capharnaum,  of  which 
there  is  mention  in  xii.  47. 

Sat  by  the  sea  side;  i.e.,  by  the  Lake  of  Genesareth,  or  Sea  of 
Galilee.  St.  Mark  (iv.  i)  says  our  Lord  instructed  the  multitude 
from  a  boat  near  the  shore  of  the  lake. 


ST.  MATPHEW  XIII,  3-9  85 

3.  And  he  spoke  to  them  many  things  in  parables,  saying:  Behold  the  sower 
went  forth  to  sow. 

4.  And  whilst  he  soweth  some  fell  by  the  way  side,  and  the  birds  of  the  air 
came  and  ate  them  up. 

5.  And  other  some  fell  upon  stony  ground,  where  they  had  not  much  earth  : 
and  they  sprung  up  immediately,  because  they  had  no  deepness  of  earth. 

6.  And  when  the  sun  was  up  they  were  scorched :  and  because  they  had  not 
root,  they  withered  away. 

7.  And  others  fell  among  thorns :  and  the  thorns,  grew  up  and  choked 
them. 

8.  And  others  fell  upon  good  ground :  and  they  brought  forth  fruit,  some 
an  hundredfold,  some  sixtyfold,  and  some  thirtyfold. 

9.  He  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear. 

3-8.  In  parables.  This  is  the  first  mention  of  parables.  And 
nowhere  else  in  the  Gospels  have  we  so  many  parables  so  richly 
grouped  together. 

The  parable  is  a  prolonged  simile,  much  the  same  as  an  allegory 
is  a  prolonged  mt  aphor.  The  parable  may  be  defined  as  a  con- 
tinued narrative  of  some  possible,  but  fictitious  event,  designed  to 
illustrate  a  sacred  truth.  It  differs  from  a  proverb  in  length,  the 
latter  being  a  condensation  of  the  former;  it  differs  also  from  the 
fable,  especially  in  two  points:  (a)  the  parable  always  relates  to 
possible  events,  the  fable  not  so;  (b)  the  parable  is  always  intended 
to  illustrate  some  high  spiritual  truth,  the  fable  some  maxim  of 
human  prudence.  Parables  have  always  been  a  very  conimon  mode 
of  expressing  truths  among  Oriental  peoples;  hence,  our  Saviour 
in  using  them,  accommodated  Himself  to  the  customs  and  manners 
of  His  hearers.  Rightly  to  understand  Scriptural  parables,  we 
must  bear  in  mind  two  things  in  particular:  (a)  that  the  whole 
parable  is  to  be  compared  with  the  whole  thing  to  be  illustrated, 
and  not  part  by  part ;  ( b)  that  incidents,  descriptions,  etc.,  are  some- 
times introduced  for  mere  sake  of  ornament,  and  are  not,  therefore, 
to  be  applied  to  the  thing  illustrated.  This  first  Parable  of  the 
Sower  is  found  also  in  Mark  (iv.  4-8,  14-21)  and  in  Luke  (vii. 
5-8,  11-15). 

Our  Lord  Himself  explains  the  Parable  of  the  Sower  in  verses 
18-23  of  the  present  chapter.  The  purpose  of  the  parable  is  to 
show  the  effect  of  the  word  of  God  on  different  souls.  The  seed 
is  the  word  of  God ;  the  soil,  the  hearts  and  souls  of  men ;  the  sower. 
Christ  and  His  ministers. 


86  ST.  MATTHEW  XIII,  10-13 

10.  And  his  disciples  came  and  said  to  him  :  Why  speakest  thou  to  them 
in  parables? 

11.  Who  answered  and  said  to  them:  Because  to  you  it  is  given  to  know 
the  mysteries  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven :  but  to  them  it  is  not  given. 

12.  For  he  that  hath,  to  him  shall  be  given,  and  he  shall  abound : 
but  he  that  hath  not,  from  him  shall  be  taken  away  that  also  which  he 
hath. 

13.  Therefore  do  I  speak  to  them  in  parables :  because  seeing  they  see  not, 
and  hearing  they  hear  not,  neither  do  they  understand. 

10.  This  question  of  the  disciples  was  put  after  our  Lord 
had  retired  from  the  lake,  and  the  crowd  had  departed.  Cf.  Mark 
iv.  10. 

1 1 .  Replying  to  the  question  of  His  disciples,  our  Lord  says  that 
it  would  not  do  to  speak  to  the  Pharisees  in  plain,  unfigurative 
language,  since,  because  of  their  evil  hearts  and  bad  dispositions, 
they  would  only  spurn  His  sacred  truths.  Hence  to  speak  to  them 
plainly  would  be  like  casting  pearls  before  swine.  He  therefore 
chose  to  veil  His  teaching  in  parables,  when  speaking  to  the  multi- 
tude ;  but  to  His  disciples,  who  were  eager  to  learn  the  truth,  He 
spoke  in  simple  words.  To  these  latter  He  communicates  not  only 
the  ordinary  truths  of  the  Gospel,  but  even  the  deep  mysteries  of 
Heaven. 

12.  Here  our  Saviour  gives  a  reason  for  the  special  gifts  be- 
stowed on  His  Apostles ;  namely,  their  faithfulness  to  graces  already 
received. 

He  that  hath ;  i.e.,  he  that  makes  use  of  his  graces ;  while,  "  he 
that  hath  not,"  means  one  who  does  not  make  use  of  the  graces 
given  him. 

That  also  which  he  hath;  i.e.,  which  he  seemeth  to  have  (xxv. 
29),  or  thinketh  he  hath  (Luke  viii.  18).  "  That  which  he  hath  " 
may  also  refer  to  one's  natural  gifts  and  virtues,  which  become 
blunted  and  impaired  by  misuse  of  grace. 

13.  Seeing  they  see  not,  etc.;  i.e.,  they  do  not  want  to  see,  or 
hear;  and  because  of  this  wilful  perversity  of  their  nature  and 
hearts,  our  Saviour  spoke  in  a  language  which  they  should  not 
understand,  — "  that  seeing,  they  might  see,  and  not  perceive " 
(Mark  iv.  12;  Luke  viii.  10).  It  was  their  wilful  failure  to  profit 
by  the  grace  of  God  which  blinded  and  hardened  the  hearts  of  the 
Pharisees. 


ST.  MAITHEW  XIII,  14-19  87 

14.  And  the  prophecy  of  Isaias  is  fulfilled  in  them,  who  saith ;  By  hearing 
you  shall  hear,  and  shall  not  understand :  and  seeing  you  shall  see,  and  shall 
not  perceive. 

15.  For  the  heart  of  this  people  is  grown  gross,  and  with  their  ears  they 
have  been  dull  of  hearing,  and  their  eyes  they  have  shut :  lest  at  any  time  they 
should  see  with  their  eyes,  and  hear  with  their  ears,  and  understand  with  their 
heart,  and  be  converted,  and  I  should  heal  them. 

16.  But  blessed  are  your  eyes,  because  they  see,  and  your  ears,  because  they 
hear. 

17.  For,  amen,  I  say  to  you,  many  prophets  and  just  men  have  desired  to 
see  the  things  that  you  see,  and  have  not  seen  them,  and  to  hear  the  things 
that  you  hear  and  have  not  heard  them. 

18.  Hear  you  therefore  the  parable  of  the  sower. 

19.  When  any  one  heareth  the  word  of  the  kingdom,  and  understandeth  it 
not,  there  cometh  the  wicked  one,  and  catcheth  away  that  which  was  sown  in 
his  heart :  this  is  he  that  received  the  seed  by  the  way  side. 

14,  15.  According  to  the  original  Hebrew,  this  prophecy  of 
Isaias  (vi.  9,  10)  should  be  rendered;  "Go  and  thou  shalt 
say  to  this  people :  hearing,  hear  and  understand  not ;  and  see 
the  vision,  and  perceive  it  not.  Blind  the  heart  of  this  people 
and  make  its  ears  dull  and  close  its  eyes."  Thus  the  prophet 
is  commanded  by  Almighty  God  to  deliver  this  melancholy  mes- 
sage to  the  Jewish  people ;  and  whenever  God  commands  a  prophet 
to  say  something,  the  thing  said  is  usually  to  be  understood  as 
a  prediction  of  what  is  to  happen.  In  the  present  instance,  there- 
fore, the  prophet  is  foretelling  the  sad  fate  of  the  Jews,  how 
they  would  close  their  eyes  to  the  law,  become  blind,  obdu- 
rate, etc. 

Lest  at  any  time  they  should  see,  etc.  The  Pharisees  wilfully 
closed  their  eyes  and  hearts  to  the  light  and  warmth  of  divine 
grace,  so  that  they  might  not  see  and  be  converted.  They  preferred 
their  own  will  and  pride  to  the  will  of  God. 

16,  17.  Blessed  are  your  eyes,  etc.  Our  Lord  now  speaks  of  the 
great  privilege  and  happiness  of  His  Apostles,  who  see  Him  not 
only  corporally,  but  spiritually ;  who  behold  the  Messiah,  not  only 
by  faith,  but  in  person ;  who  hear  the  good  tidings  of  the  Gospel, 
not  only  in  promise  from  the  prophets,  but  in  reality  from  the  Christ 
Himself. 

19.  The  Saviour  now  begins  to  explain  the  Parable  of  the  Sower 
and  in  this  verse  He  is  speaking  of  those  that  are  hardened  in 
sin. 


88  ST.  MA'^rrHEVV  XIII,  20-24 

20.  And  he  that  received  the  seed  upon  stony  ground,  is  he  that  heareth  the 
word,  and  immediately  receiveth  it  with  joy. 

21.  Yet  hath  he  not  root  in  himself,  but  is  only  for  a  time :  and  when  there 
ariseth  tribulation  and  persecution  because  of  the  word,  he  is  presently 
scandalized. 

22.  And  he  that  received  the  seed  among  thorns,  is  he  that  heareth  the 
word,  and  the  care  of  this  world  and  the  deceitfulness  of  riches  choketh  up  the 
word,  and  he  becometh  fruitless. 

23.  But  he  that  received  the  seed  upon  good  ground,  is  he  that  heareth  the 
word,  and  understandeth,  and  beareth  fruit,  and  yieldeth  the  one  an  hundred- 
fold, and  another  sixty,  and  another  thirty. 

24.  Another  parable  he  proposed  to  them,  saying :  The  kingdom  of  heaven 
is  likened  to  a  man  that  sowed  good  seed  in  his  field. 

Understand  it  not;  i.e.,  do  not  ponder  it,  and  try  to  understand. 
20,  21.    The  class  here  described  are  the  inconstant  and  fickle- 
minded. 

22.  This  third  class  of  hearers  gladly  receive  and  understand  the 
word  of  the  Gospel,  but  are  engrossed  with  the  "  cares  and  riches 
and  pleasures  of  life."     Cf.  Mark  iv.  19;  Luke  viii.  14. 

23.  The  fourth  class  of  hearers  are  those  in  whom  the  words  of 
the  Gospel  yield  fruit.  They  differ  from  the  first  class,  by  keeping 
the  words  of  the  Gospel ;  from  the  second,  by  receiving  them  into 
good  soil,  i.e.,  into  hearts  well-disposed;  from  the  third  class,  by 
bringing  forth  fruit,  —  the  fruit  of  good  zvorks,  in  the  present  life, 
and  of  reward  in  the  life  to  come. 

24-30.  We  have  here  the  second  parable,  called  the  Parable 
of  the  Cockle  or  Tares,  which  our  Lord  Himself  again  explains 
in  verses  36-43.  Having  shown  that  the  word  of  the  Gospel 
is  fruitful  in  only  a  portion  of  its  hearers,  the  Saviour  now 
goes  on  to  explain  how,  even  among  the  children  of  the  Church, 
we  must  not  expect  that  only  good  will  be  found.  Even  in  the 
Church  the  good  and  the  bad  are  mingled  together.  Cf.  Mark 
iv.  26. 

24.  The  kingdom  of  heaven;  i.e.,  the  Church  of  Christ.  As  a 
man  may  have  in  his  field  good  and  bad  seed  growing  side  by  side, 
so  the  good  and  the  bad  are  found  in  the  Church. 

In  the  preceding  parable  the  seed  is  the  word  of  God  (cf.  Luke 
viii.  11),  or  the  word  of  the  kingdom;  here  the  good  seed  are  the 
children  of  the  kingdom,  i.e.,  the  faithftil  keepers  of  the  word  of 
God. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XIII,  25-32  89 

25.  But  while  men  were  asleep,  his  enemy  came  and  oversowed  cockle 
among  the  wheat  and  went  his  way. 

26.  And  when  the  blade  was  sprung  up,  and  had  brought  forth  fruit,  then 
appeared  also  the  cockle. 

2"].  And  the  servants  of  the  goodman  of  the  house  coming  said  to  him:  Sir, 
didst  thou  not  sow  good  seed  in  thy  field?  whence  then  hath  it  cockle? 

28.  And  he  said  to  them :  An  enemy  hath  done  this.  And  the  servants  said 
to  him :  Wilt  thou  that  we  go  and  gather  it  up  ? 

29.  And  he  said :  No,  lest  perhaps  gathering  up  the  cockle,  you  root  up  the 
wheat  also  together  with  it. 

30.  Suffer  both  to  grow  until  the  harvest,  and  in  the  time  of  the  harvest  I 
will  say  to  the  reapers :  Gather  up  first  the  cockle,  and  bind  it  into  bundles  to 
burn,  but  the  wheat  gather  ye  into  my  barn. 

31.  Another  parable  he  proposed  unto  them,  saying:  The  kingdom  of 
heaven  is  like  to  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  which  a  man  took  and  sowed  in  his 
field. 

32.  Which  is  the  least  indeed  of  all  seeds ;  but  when  it  is  grown  up,  it  is 
greater  than  all  herbs,  and  becometh  a  tree,  so  that  the  birds  of  the  air  come, 
and  dwell  in  the  branches  thereof. 

25.  While  men  were  asleep  means  literally,  during  the  night 
time;  in  its  application  the  phrase  means,  during  the  inadvertence  of 
the  ministers  of  the  Church.  Servants;  i.e.,  the  angels,  as  explained 
below  in  verse  39.  Cockle  or  tares  represent  evil-doers,  sinful  men, 
whether  within  or  without  the  Church ;  they  are  the  children  of  the 
enemy,  the  devil.  Field  may  be  considered  as  the  Church,  spread 
throughout  the  world,  or  as  the  world,  in  its  literal  sense. 

31,  32.  In  these  verses  we  have  the  third  parable,  which  is  also 
found  in  Mark  iv.  30-32;  Luke  xiii.  18,  19.  This  Parable  of  the 
Mustard  Seed  is  intended  to  illustrate  the  external  growth  of  the 
Church,  which,  despite  its  humble  beginning,  is  now  spread  over 
the  entire  world.  The  mustard  seed  was  chosen,  not  so  much  on 
account  of  the  smallness  of  the  seed,  nor  of  the  greatness  which  it 
finally  attains  as  a  tree ;  but  rather  on  account  of  the  contrast 
between  the  smallness  of  the  seed  and  the  bigness  of  the  tree  into 
which  it  finally  unfolds.  The  mustard  plant  or  tree,  of  which  there 
is  mention  here,  is  a  small  one  in  our  country ;  but  in  hot  climates, 
such  as  that  of  Judea.  it  becomes  so  large  as  to  permit  a  man  to 
climb  into  its  branches,  or  to  pass  on  horseback  beneath  them. 
Maldonatus  tells  us  that  in  Spain  he  saw  ovens  heated  with  its 
branches;  and  that  often,  too,  he  saw  great  flocks  of  birds  resting 
on  its  boughs. 

To  understand  the  meaning  of  the  phrase,  ''  the  least  of  all  seeds," 


90  ST.  MATTHEW  XIII,  33-35 

S;^.  Another  parable  he  spoke  to  them.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  t© 
leaven,  which  a  woman  took  and  hid  in  three  measures  of  meal,  until  the  whole 
was  leavened. 

34.  All  these  things  Jesus  spoke  in  parables  to  the  multitudes :  and  without 
parables  he  did  not  speak  to  them. 

35.  That  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  was  spoken  by  the  prophet,  saying :  I 
will  open  my  mouth  in  parables,  I  will  utter,  things  hidden  from  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world. 

we  need  only  observe  that  the  expression  "  small  as  a  grain  of 
mustard  seed  "  was  proverbial  among  the  Jews,  to  express  or  sig- 
nify something  very  minute. 

The  kingdom  of  heaven  means  here  the  doctrines  and  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel. 

33.  As  the  Parable  of  the  Mustard  Seed  depicts  the  visible  ex- 
pansion and  external  growth  of  the  Church,  so  this  of  the  Leaven 
is  calculated  to  illustrate  its  internal  secret  working  and  mysterious 
influence  on  the  world.    For  the  same  parable,  see  Luke  xiii.  20,  21. 

The  kingdom  of  heaven;  i.e.,  the  Gospel  teaching. 

Three  measures  of  meal.  This  quantity  of  meal  is  mentioned 
because  it  was  most  probably  the  amount  used  at  a  single  baking 
among  the  Jews. 

Until  the  whole  was  leavened,  refers  to  the  final  triumph  of  the 
Gospel  when  it  shall  have  spread  over  the  whole  earth  and  en- 
nobled all  life.  "  Leaven "  is  often  spoken  of  in  Scripture  to 
signify  something  evil,  as  when  our  Lord  speaks  of  the  leaven  of 
the  Pharisees  (Luke  xii,  i)  ;  but  in  such  cases,  it  is  to  the  puffing 
up,  souring  properties  of  leaven  that  allusion  is  made;  while  in  the 
present  parable,  our  Lord  is  referring  to  its  warming,  permeating, 
expanding  qualities. 

34.  Without  parables,  etc. ;  i.e.,  on  this  particular  occasion  He 
spoke  only  in  parables,  for  we  know  that  many  other  times  our  Lord 
spoke  to  the  multitude  in  plainest  language.  Doubtless  the  reason 
why  He  spoke  in  parables  at  this  time  was  in  order  to  conceal  His 
meaning,  to  some  extent,  from  the  Pharisees,  who,  had  they  clearly 
understood  Him,  would  have  been  the  more  enraged  against  Him. 

35.  Spoken  by  the  prophets.  The  reference  is  to  the  Psalmist 
in  Ps.  Ixxvii.  2.  I  will  open  my  mouth,  etc.,  means,  I  will  utter, 
or  speak. 

Things  hidden;  i.e.,  the  mysteries  of  grace  and  glory  revealed 


ST.  MATTHEW  XIII,  36-44  91 

36.  Then  having  sent  away  the  multitudes,  he  came  into  the  house,  and  his 
disciples  came  to  him,  saying :  Expound  to  us  the  parable  of  the  cockle  of  the 
held. 

37.  Who  made  answer  and  said  to  them :  He  that  soweth  the  good  seed,  is 
the  Son  of  man. 

38.  And  the  field,  is  the  world.  And  the  good  seed  are  the  children  of  the 
kingdom.    And  the  cockle,  are  the  children  of  the  wicked  one. 

39.  And  the  enemy  that  sowed  them,  is  the  devil.  But  the  harvest  is  the 
end  of  the  world.    And  the  reapers  are  the  angels. 

40.  Even  as  cockle  therefore  is  gathered  up,  and  burnt  with  fire :  so  shall 
it  be  at  the  end  of  the  world. 

41.  The  Son  of  man  shall  send  his  angels,  and  they  shall  gather  out  of  his 
kingdom  all  scandals,  and  them  that  work  iniquity. 

42.  And  shall  cast  them  into  the  furnace  of  fire :  there  shall  be  weeping  and 
gnashing  of  teeth. 

43.  Then  shall  the  just  shine  as  the  sun,  in  the  kingdom  of  their  Father. 
He  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear. 

44.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  treasure  hidden  in  a  field.  Which 
a  man  having  found,  hid  it,  and  for  joy  thereof  goeth,  and  selleth  all  that  he 
hath,  and  buyeth  that  field. 

by  Christ  in  His  Church.  In  a  Hteral  sense,  the  Psalmist  was 
speaking  of  the  benefits  conferred  upon  the  Hebrew  people  from  the 
beginning,  down  to  his  own  time ;  but  in  a  spiritual  sense,  he  was 
foretelling  the  future  blessings  of  Christ  and  His  Church. 

36.  He  came  into  the  house  at  Capharnaum,  which  He  had  left 
the  day  before. 

41.  All  scandals;  i.e.,  all  grievous  sins  and  sinners  of  every  kind. 

42.  The  furnace  of  fire;  i.e.,  hell,  gehenna.  See  on  v.  30.  How- 
ever some  modern  preachers  may  strive  to  explain  this  place  of 
''everlasting  fire"  (xviii.  8),  of  "everlasting  punishment"  (xxv. 
46),  this  "  pool  of  fire  "  (Apoc.  xx.  15),  this  "  fire  that  is  not  ex- 
tinguished "  (Mark  ix.  44),  one  thing  seems  so  certain  that  none 
can  deny  it,  namely,  that  the  words  used  to  describe  that  place  of 
torment  certainly  point  to  some  doom  so  intolerable  that  the  Son 
of  God  came  down  from  Heaven  and  tasted  all  the  bitterness  of 
death,  that  He  might  deliver  us  from  ever  knowing  the  secrets  of 
anguish  which,  unless  God  be  mocking  men  with  empty  threats, 
are  shut  up  in  these  terrible  words,  —  "  there  shall  be  weeping  and 
gnashing  of  teeth  "  (Trench,  Notes  on  the  Parables,  p.  86). 

43.  Shine  as  the  sun  is  a  reference  to  the  happiness  of  the 
Blessed  in  Heaven. 

44.  The  Parables  of  the  Mustard  Seed  and  of  the  Leaven  illus- 


92  ST.  MATTHEW  XIII,  45-49 

45.  Again  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  Hke  to  a  merchant  seeking  good  pearls. 

46.  Who  when  he  had  found  one  pearl  of  great  price,  went  his  way,  and 
sold  all  that  he  had,  and  bought  it. 

47.  Again  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  to  a  net  cast  into  the  sea,  and 
gathering  together  of  all  kind  of  fishes. 

48.  Which,  when  it  was  filled,  they  drew  out,  and  sitting  by  the  shore,  they 
chose  out  the  good  into  vessels,  but  the  bad  they  cast  forth. 

49.  So  shall  it  be  at  the  end  of  the  world.  The  angels  shall  go  out,  and 
shall  separate  the  wicked  from  among  the  just. 

trate  the  vital  force  and  expansiveness  of  the  Gospel  teaching;  this 
present  one  of  the  Hidden  Treasure  is  introduced  to  show  the 
priceless  value  of  the  same  teaching.  Better  to  understand  the 
force  of  the  parable  we  must  note,  that  in  Oriental  countries,  be- 
cause of  the  frequent  changes  of  dynasties,  it  was  customary  for 
rich  men,  before  leaving  their  country,  to  bury  a  portion  of  their 
money  in  the  ground,  in  places  unknown  to  any  but  themselves. 
It  frequently  happened  that  owners  of  this  hidden  wealth  never 
returned,  and  that  peasants  who  had  purchased  the  land  would,  at 
times,  while  digging  or  plowing,  accidentally  stumble  upon  it. 
According  to  the  Jewish  law,  the  treasure  found  belonged  to  the 
one  on  whose  property  it  was  discovered.  Our  Lord,  in  this  parable, 
likens  the  finding  of  the  teaching  of  the  Gospel  to  that  of  one  of 
these  ^treasures  hidden  in  the  earth. 

Field  may  refer  to  the  world  in  general,  or  more  probably,  to 
the  Church,  in  its  visible,  outward  aspect ;  while  the  treasure  is 
the  teaching  of  the  Church,  of  the  Gospel,  or  the  inward  spiritual 
meaning  of  that  teaching. 

Hid  it  does  not  mean  that  we  should  try  to  keep  the  Gospel 
doctrine  from  others ;  it  rather  points  to  the  great  diligence  we 
should  exercise  lest,  when  we  have  found  it,  we  lose  it. 

45,  46.  This  parable  is  nearly  the  same  as  the  preceding  one. 
except  that  the  Pearl  which  is  found  was  not  discovered  by  acci- 
dent, as  in  the  case  of  the  Hidden  Treasure,  but  has  been  the  re- 
sult of  steady,  persistent  quest.  The  preceding  parable,  therefore, 
illustrates  the  Gospel  doctrine  as  coming  to  its  possessor  without 
any  special  efifort,  while  the  present  one  shows  the  great  sacrifice 
one  must  be  ready  to  make  to  secure  its  precious  teaching. 

47.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  here  means  the  Church,  which  is 
composed  of  all  classes,  rich  and  poor,  good  and  bad. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XIII,  50-56  93 

50.  And  shall  cast  them  into  the  furnace  of  fire :  there  shall  be  weeping  and 
gnashing  of  teeth. 

51.  Have  ye  understood  all  these  things?    Thej'  say  to  him :  Yes. 

52.  He  said  unto  them :  Therefore  every  scribe  instructed  in  the  kingdom 
of  heaven,  is  like  to  a  man  that  is  a  householder,  who  bringeth  forth  out  of 
his  treasure  new  things  and  old. 

53.  And  it  came  to  pass :  when  Jesus  had  finished  these  parables,  he  passed 
from  thence. 

54.  And  coming  into  his  own  country,  he  taught  them  in  their  synagogues, 
so  that  they  wondered  and  said :  How  came  this  man  by  this  wisdom  and 
miracles? 

55.  Is  not  this  the  carpenter's  son?  Is  not  his  mother  called  Mary,  and  his 
brethren  James,  and  Joseph,  and  Simon,  and  Jude : 

56.  And  his  sisters,  are  they  not  all  with  us?  Whence  therefore  hath  he 
all  these  things? 


50.  The  furnace  of  fire.    See  above,  verse  42. 

52.  Every  scribe;  i.e.,  every  teacher  instructed  in  the  law  of  the 
Gospel  must  be  able  to  bring  forth  from  the  abimdance  of  his 
knowledge  the  teaching-  necessary  for  his  hearers ;  he  must  be  able 
to  adapt  and  apply  the  old  truths  to  new  conditions  and  new 
needs. 

53.  He  passed  from  thence ;  i.e.,  from  His  house  at  Capharnaum, 
where  He  had  been  explaining  the  parable  to  His  disciples. 

54-56.  Coming  into  his  own  country;  i.e.,  to  Nazareth,  where 
He  had  grown  up  as  a  boy  and  was  well  known.  Cf.  Luke 
iv.    16. 

Synagogues  should  be  in  the  singular,  according  to  the  Greek. 
See  on  iv.  23. 

Brethren;  i.e.,  cousins  and  near  relatives.  They  were  perhaps 
the  children  of  Mary,  wife  of  Alpheus,  or  Cleophas.  According  to 
some  commentators,  this  Mary  was  the  cousin  of  the  Blessed  Virgin, 
and  was  married  twice,  first  to  Alpheus,  of  whom  she  had  James 
and  Joseph,  and  afterwards  to  Cleophas,  of  whom  she  had  Simon 
and  Jude  (St.  Thomas).  Certain  commentators  say  that  Alpheus 
was  a  brother  of  St.  Joseph.  There  are  some  who  say  that  this 
Mary  was  the  daughter  of  Cleophas,  still  others,  that  she  was  the 
sister  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  (John  xix.  25).  At  any  rate,  these 
"  brethren  "  m.entioned  in  the  present  verse  would  be  cousins  of 
our  Lord,  either  on  the  side  of  His  Blessed  Mother,  or  on  the  side 
of  St.  Joseph.     See  above,  xii.  46. 


94  ST.  MATTHEW  XIII,  57-58;  XIV,   1 

57.  And  they  were  scandalized  in  his  regard.     But  Jesus  said  to  them :  A 
prophet  is  not  without  honour,  save  in  his  own  country,  and  in  his  own  house. 

58.  And  he  wrought  not  many  miracles  there,  because  of  their  unbelief. 

57.  They  were  scandalized  in  him;  i.e.,  they  were  offended  at 
His  lowly  birth  and  the  poverty  of  His  parents  and  relatives. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

The  Martyrdom  of  John  the  Baptist,  1-12. 
The  First  Multiplication  of  the  Loaves,  13-21. 
Jesus  Stills  the  Waters,  22,  23. 
The  Return  to  Galilee,  24-36. 

I.  At  that  time  Herod  the  Tetrarch  heard  the  fame  of  Jesus. 

I.  At  that  time;  i.e.,  some  time  after  the  death  of  John  the 
Baptist.  John  was  beheaded  after  the  mission  of  the  Apostles,  as 
recorded  in  chapter  x ;  and  it  was  after  the  return  of  the  Apostles 
from  their  mission  that  John's  death  was  made  known  to  our  Lord. 
Cf .  Mark  vi.  14 ;  Luke  ix.  7  fif. 

Herod  the  Tetrarch.  A  tetrarch  was  a  ruler  of  a  fourth  part 
of  a  province  or  kingdom.  The  Herod  here  spoken  of  was  Herod 
Antipas,  son  of  Herod  the  Great  who  had  put  to  death  the  Holy 
Innocents.  This  tetrarch  was  surnamed  "  Antipas,"  and  was  the 
one  before  whom  our  Lord  was  mocked  (Luke  xxiii.  11).  Upon  the 
death  of  Herod  the  Great,  his  kingdom  was  divided  by  the  Em- 
peror Augustus  as  follows:  half  of  the  territory  —  embracing 
Idumea,  Samaria,  and  Judea  —  was  given  to  Archelaus  with  the 
title  of  Ethnarch ;  the  other  half  was  divided  into  two  equal  parts, 
called  tetrarchies.  One  of  these  tetrarchies,  composed  of  Galilee 
and  Peraea,  fell  to  the  lot  of  Herod  Antipas ;  while  the  other,  com- 
prising Ituraea,  Trachonitis,  Gaulanitis,  Auranitis  and  Batanea,  was 
handed  over  to  Herod  Philip  II,  the  son  whom  Herod  the  Great 
had  by  Cleopatra  of  Jerusalem.  St.  Luke  (iii.  i)  speaks  of  Ly- 
sanias  as  tetrarch  of  Abilene  which  lay  to  the  north  of  Ituraea, 
but  it  is  uncertain  whether  this  small  state  was  ever  a  part  of  Herod 
the  Great's  domains. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XIV,  2-9  95 

2.  And  he  said  to  his  servants:  This  is  John  the  Baptist:  he  is  risen  from 
the  dead,  and  therefore  mighty  works  shew  forth  themselves  in  him. 

3.  For  Herod  had  apprehended  John  and  bound  him,  and  put  him  into 
prison,  because  of  Herodias,  his  brother's  wife. 

4.  For  John  said  to  him  :  It  is  not  lawful  for  thee  to  have  her. 

5.  And  having  a  mind  to  put  him  to  death,  he  feared  the  people :  because 
they  esteemed  him  as  a  prophet. 

6.  But  on  Herod's  birthday,  the  daughter  of  Herodias  danced  before  them : 
and  pleased  Herod. 

7.  Whereupon  he  promised  with  an  oath,  to  give  her  whatsoever  she 
would  ask  of  him. 

8.  But  she  being  instructed  before  by  her  mother,  said :  Give  me  here  in  a 
dish  the  head  of  John  the  Baptist. 

9.  And  the  king  was  struck  sad  :  yet  because  of  his  oath,  and  for  them  that 
sat  with  him  at  table,  he  commanded  it  to  be  given. 

Heard  of  the  fame  of  Jesus.  It  seems  strange  that  Herod  had 
not  before  learned  of  the  wondrous  works  of  the  Saviour,  but  this 
can  be  accounted  for  by  his  frequent  absences,  his  preoccupations 
in  temporal  affairs,  and  his  little  interest  in  things  religious. 

2.  This  is  John  the  Baptist,  etc.  From  this  it  would  seem  that 
Herod  believed  in  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  either  because  he 
iwas  imbued  with  the  errors  of  Pythagoras,  according  to  which,  the 
souls  of  the  departed  just  were  thought  to  exist  in  the  bodies  of 
other  men ;  or  because  he  had  heard  before  of  others  coming  back 
from  the  dead,  such  as  the  son  of  the  widow  of  Sarephta  (3  Kings 
xvii),  the  son  of  the  woman  of  Sunam  (4  Kings  iv),  etc. 

3.  Had  apprehended  John;  i.e.,  at  the  beginning  of  the  public 
ministry  of  our  Lord  (iv.  12).  John,  at  the  time,  was  preaching 
in  Peraea  within  the  territory  of  the  incestuous  tetrarch ;  and 
yet  he  did  not  recoil  from  denouncing  in  boldest  terms  this  sinful 
ruler. 

His  brother's  wife.  This  brother  was  Philip,  brother  of  Herod, 
but  not  the  tetrarch  of  Ituraea.  This  Philip  was  son  of  Herod 
the  Great  by  Mariamne  and  was  the  half-brother,  consequently,  of 
the  tetrarch  of  Ituraea  and  Trachonitis,  also  named  Philip. 

4.  John  said  to  him;  i.e.,  to  Herod  Antipas.  It  is  not  lawful, 
etc.,  because  her  husband,  Herod  Philip,  was  still  living,  and  be- 
cause his  own  wife  was  also  still  alive. 

6.  The  daughter  of  Herodias,  whose  name  was  Salome,  "  the 
damsel,"  who  was  the  daughter  of  Herodias  and  Herod  Philip ; 
she  afterwards  married  Philip  the  tetrarch,  her  uncle. 


96  ST.  MATTHEW  XIV,  10-20 

10.  And  he  sent,  and  beheaded  John  in  the  prison. 

11.  And  his  head  was  brought  in  a  dish:  and  it  was  given  to  the  damsel, 
and  she  brought  it  to  her  mother. 

12.  And  his  disciples  came  and  took  the  body,  and  buried  it,  and  came  and 
told  Jesus. 

13.  Which  when  Jesus  had  heard,  he  retired  from  thence  by  a  boat,  into  a 
desert  place  apart,  and  the  multitudes  having  heard  of  it,  followed  -him  on 
foot  out  of  the  cities. 

14.  And  he  coming  forth  saw  a  great  multitude,  and  had  compassion  on 
them,  and  healed  their  sick. 

15.  And  when  it  was  evening,  his  disciples  came  to  him,  saying:  This  is  a 
desert  place,  and  the  hour  is  now  past :  send  away  the  multitudes,  that  going 
into  the  towns,  they  may  buy  themselves  victuals. 

16.  But  Jesus  said  to  them,  They  have  no  need  to  go :  give  you  them  to  eat. 

17.  They  answered  him :  We  have  not  here,  but  five  loaves,  and  two  fishes. 

18.  He  said  to  them :  Bring  them  hither  to  me. 

19.  And  when  he  had  commanded  the  multitudes  to  sit  down  upon  the  grass, 
he  took  the  five  loaves  and  the  two  fishes,  and  looking  up  to  heaven,  he  blessed, 
and  brake,  and  gave  the  loaves  to  his  disciples,  and  the  disciples  to  the  multitudes. 

20.  And  they  did  all  eat,  and  were  filled.  And  they  took  up  what  remained, 
twelve  full  baskets  of  fragments. 

10.  John  in  prison,  in  the  castle  of  Machaerus,  beyond  the 
Jordan,  near  the  Dead  Sea. 

13.  He  retired  from  thence.  Upon  hearing  these  things,  our 
Saviour  sailed  across  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  from  Capharnaum  to 
Bethsaida  Julias,  on  the  northeastern  shore  of  the  lake  (Luke 
ix.  10).  Whether  this  was  the  "desert  place"  where  the  multi- 
plication of  the  loaves  took  place  or  not,  is  uncertain.  Many  com- 
mentators think  it  was ;  but  there  are  others  who  think  that  Tell- 
Hum,  the  ancient  and  real  Bethsaida,  was  the  vicinity  of  the  miracle 
(Le  Camus). 

15.  When  it  was  evening.  St.  Luke  (ix.  12)  says  when  "the 
day  began  to  decline."  The  Hebrews  distinguished  two  evenings, 
the  first  was  about  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  the  sun 
began  to  decline,  the  second  was  after  sunset.  Reference  is  here 
made  to  the  first. 

16.  Give  you  them  to  eat,  which  the  disciples  did  as  soon  as  the 
Saviour  had  by  the  miracle  provided  the  food  (verse  19).  Already 
the  Apostles  were  exercising  the  duties  of  their  office  as  "  minis- 
ters of  Christ  and  dispensers  of  the  mysteries  of  God  "  (i  Cor.  iv.  i). 

19.  He  blessed  and  brake.  These  same  words  are  used  in  the 
account  of  the  in.stitution  of  the  Holy  Eucharist   (xxvi.  26;  John 


ST.  MATrHEW  XIV,  21-29  97 

21.  And  the  number  of  them  that  did  eat,  was  five  thousand  men,  besides 
women  and  children. 

22.  And  forthwith  Jesus  obliged  his  disciples  to  go  up  into  the  boat,  and  to 
go  before  him  over  the  water,  till  he  dismissed  the  people. 

23.  And  having  dismissed  the  multitude,  he  went  into  a  mountain  alone  to 
pray.    And  when  it  was  evening,  he  was  there  alone. 

24.  But  the  boat  in  the  midst  of  the  sea  was  tossed  with  the  waves :  for  the 
wind  was  contrary. 

25.  And  in  the  fourth  watch  of  the  night,  he  came  to  them  walking  upon 
the  sea. 

26.  And  they  seeing  him  walking  upon  the  sea,  were  troubled,  saying :  It  is 
an  apparition.    And  they  cried  out  for  fear. 

27.  And  immediately  Jesus  spoke  to  them,  saying :  Be  of  good  heart :  it  is 
I,  fear  ye  not. 

28.  And  Peter  making  answer,  said :  Lord,  if  it  be  thou,  bid  me  come  to 
thee  upon  the  waters. 

29.  And  he  said :  Come.  And  Peter  going  down  out  of  the  boat,  walked 
upon  the  water  to  come  to  Jesus. 

vi.  11),  from  which  it  is  clear  that  the  multipHcation  of  the  loaves 
was  a  type  of  the  institution  of  the  Eucharist. 

21.  Five  thousand  men.  The  word  iivSpes  is  used  in  the  Greek 
to  distinguish  the  men  from  the  women  and  the  children.  The 
same  term  occurs  in  the  other  Synoptics,  but  in  St.  John  (vi.  10) 
dvdpcoTTovs  is  used,  —  a  general  term  embracing  men,  women,  and 
children. 

22.  Obliged  his  disciples,  etc.  The  disciples  got  into  the  boat 
to  return  from  Bethsaida  Julias,  or  wherever  the  miracle  took  place, 
to  Bethsaida  of  Galilee,  near  Capharnaum.  Our  Saviour,  fearing 
that  the  people,  on  account  of  the  miracle,  "  would  come  and  make 
him  king"  (John  vi.  15),  thus  sent  away  His  disciples  and  dis- 
missed the  multitudes. 

25.  Fourth  watch  of  the  night;  i.e.,  between  3  and  6  a.m.  In 
the  time  of  our  Lord,  the  Jews  had  adopted  the  Roman  division  of 
the  night  into  four  watches  of  equal  length.  The  first  was  from 
6  to  9  P.M. ;  the  second  from  9  to  12,  and  so  on. 

26.  Were  troubled.  The  Apostles  feared,  not  because  of  the 
roughness  of  the  waves,  since  they  were  fishermen  and  accustomed 
to  storms,  but  only  because  of  the  apparition,  which  they  did  not 
understand. 

27.  Be  of  good  heart;  i.e.,  do  not  fear. 

28.  Lord,  if  it  be  thou,  etc.    It  was  not  that  Peter's  faith  was 


98  ST.  MATTHEW  XIV,  30-36 

30.  But  seeing  the  wind  strong,  he  was  afraid  :  and  when  he  began  to  sink, 
he  cried  out,  saying :  Lord,  save  me. 

31.  And  immediately  Jesus  stretching  forth  his  hand  took  hold  of  him,  and 
said  to  him :  O  thou  of  little  faith,  why  didst  thou  doubt? 

32.  And  when  they  were  come  up  into  the  boat,  the  wind  ceased. 

33.  And  they  that  were  in  the  boat  came  and  adored  him,  saying :  Indeed 
thou  art  the  Son  of  God. 

34.  And  having  passed  the  water,  they  came  into  the  country  of  Genesar. 

35.  And  when  the  men  of  that  place  had  knowledge  of  him,  they  sent  into 
all  that  country,  and  brought  to  him  all  that  were  diseased. 

36.  And  they  besought  him  that  they  might  touch  but  the  hem  of  his  gar- 
ment.   And  as  many  as  touched,  were  made  whole. 

at  fault  that  he  asked  this  question,  but  because  of  his  uncertainty 
as  to  the  identity  or  reality  of  the  person. 

30,  31.  So  long  as  Peter  had  his  mind  and  eyes  fixed  upon  the 
Saviour,  the  waters  did  not  yield  under  him ;  it  was  only  when  he 
began  to  consider  the  winds  and  waves  and  his  own  weakness  that 
h'e  began  to  sink.    So  long  as  his  faith  did  not  waver,  he  was  safe. 

33.  Son  of  God;  i.e.,  the  Messiah.  It  was  not  generally  under- 
stood by  the  Jews  that  the  Messiah  was  to  be  the  natural  son  of 
God;  but,  in  the  present  instance,  this  appellation  given  to  our 
Saviour  by  the  disciples,  because  of  the  miracles  they  had  witnessed, 
was  a  recognition  of  His  natural  sonship,  and,  consequently,  of 
His  Divinity. 

34.  Genesar;  i.e.,  Genesareth,  near  Capharnaum.  They  landed 
from  the  boat  on  Friday.  The  multiplication  of  the  loaves  had 
taken  place  on  Thursday  afternoon  toward  evening,  after  which 
the  disciples  started  across  the  lake  in  the  boat.  The  day  after  our 
Lord  landed  at  Capharnaum  He  entered  the  synagogue,  it  being 
the  Sabbath,  and  there  uttered  the  discourse  recorded  by  St.  John 
vi.  26-60. 

36.  The  hem  of  his  garment.  In  this,  we  find  justification  for, 
and  approbation  of,  the  Catholic  practice  of  reverencing  relics. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XV,  1-6  99 


CHAPTER  XV 

The  Pharisees  and  their  Traditions,  1-20. 

The  Canaanite  Mother,  21-28. 

The  Return  to  Galilee  and  the  Cure  of  Many 

Infirm,  29-31. 
The  Second  Multiplication  of  the  Loaves,  32-39. 

r.  Then  came  to  him  from  Jerusalem  scribes  and  Pharisees,  saying: 

2.  Why  do  thy  disciples  transgress  the  tradition  of  the  ancients?  For  they 
wash  not  their  hands  when  they  eat  bread. 

3.  But  he  answering,  said  to  them :  Why  do  you  also  transgress  the  com- 
mandment of  God  for  your  tradition  ?    For  God  said  : 

4.  Honour  thy  father  and  mother :  And  :  He  that  shall  curse  father  or 
mother,  let  him  die  the  death. 

5.  But  you  say  :  Whosoever  shall  say  to  father  or  mother,  The  gift  whatso- 
ever proceedeth  from  me,  shall  profit  thee. 

6.  And  he  shall  not  honour  his  father  or  his  mother:  and  you  have  made 
void  the  commandment  of  God  for  your  tradition. 

1.  Then;  i.e.,  at  the  time  of  the  Passover,  about  the  beginning 
of  the  last  year  of  our  Lord's  Hfe.  He  was  still  in  the  vicinity  of 
Genesar  and  Capharnaum.  It  seems  He  did  not  go  up  to  Jerusalem 
to  celebrate  this  Pasch ;  He  remained  in  Galilee,  out  of  fear  of  the 
Jews,  lest  they  should  put  Him  to  death  (John  vii.  i). 

Scribes  and  Pharisees.  Scribes  and  Pharisees  were  scattered  all 
over  Palestine,  but  those  at  Jerusalem  were  considered  the  most 
learned  and  best  versed  in  the  Law ;  hence  these  were  sent  by  the 
Sanhedrim  into  Galilee  to  interrogate  our  Lord,  and  examine  into 
His  teaching. 

2.  The  tradition  of  the  ancients.  This  tradition  meant  certain 
"  washings "  before  and  after  and  during  meals,  and  at  other 
times,  which  were  of  Pharisaical  origin,  and  formed  no  part  of  the 
Mosaic  Law.  The  "  tradition  "  does  not  refer  to  the  generations 
long  past,  but  to  the  teachings  of  the  rival  schools  of  Hillel  and 
Shammai  who  lived  about  the  time  of  Christ.  Both  Hillel  and 
Shammai  were  called  "  Ancients,"  i.e.,  "  Presbyters,"  and  by  their 
teachings,  which  had  a  general  influence  on  the  people,  they  had 
caused  to  be  multiplied  many  ceremonial  observances  that  formed 
no  part  of  the  Law  of  Moses. 

S-6.    Without  direct  response  to  their  question,  our  Lord  tells 


lOO  ST.  MATTHEW  XV,  7,  8 

7.  Hypocrites,  well  hath  Isaias  prophesied  of  you,  saying : 

8.  This  people  honoureth  me  with  their  lips :  but  their  heart  is  far  from  me. 

the  Pharisees  that  they  are  scrupulous  about  the  traditions  of  men, 
but  they  do  not  hesitate  to  violate  the  law  of  God  and  of  nature. 

Honor  thy  father  and  mother,  etc.     See  Exod.  xx.  12;  xxi.  17. 

The  English  translation  of  verses  5  and  6  is  not  exact.  The  cor- 
rect meaning,  as  gathered  from  the  Greek,  is  that  parents  should 
not  ask  their  children  for  any  gifts  or  temporal  support,  inasmuch 
as  all  things  were  God's  gifts,  consecrated  to  His  service,  and  as 
such,  were  to  be  given  to  Him  alone.  Thus,  parents  in  their  need, 
according  to  the  Pharisees,  were  to  be  satisfied,  not  by  receiving 
the  help  they  needed,  but  in  the  thought  that  they  had  a  part  in 
the  honor  paid  to  God  through  the  gift  that  was  oflfered  Him. 
Therefore,  the  Pharisees  taught  that  honor  paid  to  God  was  suffi- 
cient to  dispense  from  the  honor  and  support  which  were  due  to 
one's  neighbor.  The  brevity  of  our  Lord's  words  here  shows  that 
He  was  citing  a  saying  familiar  to  every  Jew.  From  St.  Mark 
(vii.  11)  we  know  that  the  Hebrew  and  Aramaic  word  for  "gift," 
here  mentioned,  was  corban  or  quorhan ;  it  was  the  name  given 
to  anything  consecrated  to  God.  And  since  the  Pharisees  taught 
that  anything  consecrated  to  God  could  not  be  used  for  other  pur- 
poses, one  could  evade  his  duty  (the  Pharisees  also  taught)  of 
paying  his  debts,  or  of  helping  his  parents  and  neighbors  by  saying 
corban  to  all  he  possessed.  Thus  Jewish  children  used  to  make  use 
of  this  teaching  to  dispense  themselves  from  all  obligations  to 
father  or  mother.  The  present  passage,  then,  together  with  its 
parallel  in  Mark  (vii.  11)  may  be  translated  as  follows:  "Whoso- 
ever has  said  to  his  parents :  '  corban  to  me  are  all  the  services  that 
I  might  render  to  you,'  can  no  longer  do  anything  for  them,"  or, 
as  others  translate  it,  "  All  my  goods  are  consecrated  to  God,  but 
I  grant  you  a  share  of  merit  in  my  offering."  See  Le  Camus, 
Life  of  Christ,  vol.  ii.  pp.  120,  121. 

And  at  the  beginning  of  verse  6  is  not  to  be  found  in  many  MSS., 
and  its  insertion  makes  no  sense  at  all. 

7.  Isaias  prophesied.  The  words  of  the  prophet  had  direct  refer- 
ence to  the  Jews  of  his  own  time,  and  indirectly  and  prophetically 
to  those  of  our  Lord's  time. 

8.  This  people  honoreth  me,  etc.    In  the  LXX  version,  from 


ST.  MATTHEW  XV,  9-20  loi 

g.  And  in  vain  do  they  worship  me,  teaching  doctrines  and  commandments 
of  men. 

10.  And  having  called  together  the  multitudes  unto  him,  he  said  to  them : 
Hear  ye  and  understand. 

11.  Not  that  which  goeth  into  the  mouth  defileth  a  man:  but  what  cometh 
out  of  the  mouth,  this  defileth  a  man. 

12.  Then  came  his  disciples,  and  said  to  him :  Dost  thou  know  that  the 
Pharisees,  when  they  heard  this  word,  were  scandalized? 

13.  But  he  answering,  said:  Every  plant  which  my  heavenly  Father  hath 
not  planted,  shall  be  rooted  up. 

14.  Let  them  alone:  they  are  blind,  and  leaders  of  the  blind.  .\nd  if  the 
blind  lead  the  blind,  both  fall  into  the  pit. 

15.  And  Peter  answering,  said  to  him:  Expound  to  us  this  parable. 

16.  But  he  said:  Are  you  also  yet  without  understanding? 

17.  Do  you  not  understand,  that  whatsoever  entereth  into  the  mouth,  goeth 
into  the  belly,  and  is  cast  out  into  the  privy? 

18.  But  the  things  which  proceed  out  of  the  mouth,  come  forth  from  the 
heart,  and  those  things  defile  a  man. 

19.  For  from  the  heart  come  forth  evil  thoughts,  murders,  adulteries,  forni- 
cations, thefts,  false  testimonies,  blasphemies. 

20.  These  are  the  things  that  defile  a  man.  But  to  eat  with  unwashed 
hands  doth  not  defile  a  man. 

which  this  verse  is  taken,  the  reading  is :  "  This  people  approaches 
me  with  their  mouth,  and  honors  me  with  their  lips,"  etc.  The 
quotation  is  from  Isaias  xxix.  13. 

9.  And  in  vain,  etc.  The  word  "  and  "  is  again  wanting  in  many 
MSS.     "  In  vain  "  means  without  present  or  future  merit. 

11.  Not  that  which  goeth  into  the  mouth,  etc.  These  words 
are  a  refutation  of  the  teaching  of  the  Pharisees  with  regard  to 
eating  with  unwashed  hands.  "  Every  creature  of  God  is  good  in 
itself,  if  it  be  taken  with  thanksgiving"  (i  Tim.  iv.  4).  It  is  only 
moral  uncleanness  that  defiles  a  man  in  the  sight  of  God. 

But  what  cometh  out  of  the  mouth,  as  explained  below,  in 
verses  18-20. 

12.  Scandalized;  i.e.,  oflfended,  because  He  rejected  their  tradi- 
tions. 

13.  Every  plant;  i.e.,  every  doctrine,  every  institution,  or  sect, 
such  as  that  of  the  Pharisees. 

14.  Blind.  From  the  malice  and  perversity  of  their  own  nature, 
the  Pharisees  chose  not  to  know  the  truth  and  not  to  understand ; 
hence  they,  and  those  who  followed  them,  were  blind. 

15.  This  parable;  i.e.,  this  obscure  saying,  or  use  of  language. 


I02  ST.  MATTHEW  XV,  21-27 

21.  And  Jesus  went  from  thence,  and  retired  into  the  coasts  of  Tyre  and 
Sidon. 

22.  And  behold  a  woman  of  Canaan  who  came  out  of  those  coasts,  crying 
out,  said  to  him :  Have  mercy  on  me,  O  Lord,  thou  son  of  David :  my  daughter 
is  grievously  troubled  by  a  devil. 

23.  Who  answered  her  not  a  word.  And  his  disciples  came  and  besought 
him,  saying :  Send  her  away,  for  she  crieth  after  us : 

24.  And  he  answering,  said :  I  was  not  sent  but  to  the  sheep  that  are  lost 
of  the  house  of  Israel. 

25.  But  she  came  and  adored  him,  saying :  Lord,  help  me. 

■2^.  Who  answering,  said :  It  is  not  good  to  take  the  bread  of  the  children, 
and  to  cast  it  to  the  dogs. 

2y.  But  she  said  :  Yea,  Lord  ;  for  the  whelps  also  eat  of  the  crumbs  that  fall 
from  the  table  of  their  masters. 


The  disciples,  accustomed  to  the  traditions  of  the  Pharisees,  ac- 
cording to  which  to  eat  with  unwashed  hands  defiled  the  food 
taken,  and  the  food  the  heart,  were  anxious  to  know  from  our  Lord 
just  what  He  meant  by  His  words  in  verse  11 ;  hence  his  explana- 
tion in  verses  17-20. 

21.  From  thence;  i.e.,  from  Genesar  and  the  neighboring  places. 
Tyre  and  Sidon  were  Gentile  cities  of  Phoenicia,  north  of  Galilee. 

It  is  not  known  whether  our  Lord  actually  entered  these  Gentile 
cities,  or  only  approached  their  frontiers. 

22.  A  woman  of  Canaan.  She  was  a  Phoenician  Gentile,  called 
by  St.  Mark  (vii.  26)  a  Syro-Phoenician,  because  Phoenicia  was 
part  of  Syria,  and  to  distinguish  the  place  from  Liby- Phoenicia  in 
Africa.  The  Phoenicians  and  Canaanites  were  the  same  people, 
the  descendants  of  Canaan,  son  of  Cham.  They  were  called 
Canaanites  by  the  Jews,  but  Phoenicians  by  the  Greeks. 

24.  I  was  not  sent,  etc. ;  the  personal  mission  of  Jesus,  during 
His  earthly  life,  was  to  the  Jews;  had  He  mingled  among  the 
Gentiles,  the  Jews  would  have  had  an  excuse  for  not  receiving  Him 
as  the  Messiah.    Cf.  x.  5. 

26.  Bread  of  the  children;  i.e.,  the  graces  and  blessings  of  His 
doctrine  and  miracles,  primarily  intended  for  the  chosen  people. 
The  term  dogs  here  means  the  Gentiles. 

27.  The  woman's  reply  means  that  she  is  only  demanding  a 
little,  a  crumb,  by  asking  her  daughter's  cure ;  and  that  the  Jews 
who  are  blessed  with  so  many  miracles,  will  not  suffer  through  the 
grant  of  her  one  request. 


ST.  MAT^fHEW  XV,  28-38  103 

28.  Then  Jesus  answering,  said  to  her :  O  woman,  great  is  thy  faith :  be  it 
done  to  thee  as  thou  wilt :  and  her  daughter  was  cured  from  that  hour. 

29.  And  when  Jesus  had  passed  away  from  thence,  he  came  nigh  the  sea  of 
Galilee.    And  going  up  into  a  mountain,  he  sat  there. 

30.  And  there  came  to  him  great  multitudes,  having  with  them  the  dumb, 
the  blind,  the  lame,  the  maimed,  and  many  others :  and  they  cast  them  down  at 
his  feet,  and  he  healed  them  : 

31.  So  that  the  multitudes  marvelled  seeing  the  dumb  speak,  the  lame  walk, 
the  blind  see :  and  they  glorified  the  God  of  Israel. 

32.  And  Jesus  called  together  his  disciples,  and  said :  I  have  compassion  on 
the  multitudes,  because  they  continue  with  me  now  three  days,  and  have  not 
what  to  eat,  and  I  will  not  send  them  away  fasting,  lest  they  faint  in  the  way. 

33.  And  the  disciples  say  unto  him :  Whence  then  should  we  have  so  many 
loaves  in  the  desert,  as  to  fill  so  great  a  multitude? 

34.  And  Jesus  said  to  them  :  How  many  loaves  have  you?  But  they  said  : 
Seven,  and  a  few  little  fishes. 

35.  And  he  commanded  the  multitude  to  sit  down  upon  the  ground. 

36.  And  taking  the  seven  loaves  and  the  fishes,  and  giving  thanks,  he  brake, 
and  gave  to  his  disciples,  and  the  disciples  gave  to  the  people. 

37.  And  they  did  all  eat,  and  had  their  fill.  And  they  took  up  seven  bas- 
kets full,  of  what  remained  of  the  fragments. 

38.  And  they  that  did  eat,  were  four  thousand  men,  beside  children  and 
women. 


28.  Be  it  done  unto  thee.  This  affords  an  excellent  example  of 
the  efficacy  of  humble,  persevering  prayer. 

29.  From  thence;  i.e.,  from  the  borders  of  Tyre  and  Sidon. 
Our  Lord  went  from  Tyre  around  to  the  north  and  east,  via  Sidon, 
to  the  eastern  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee. 

30.  Lame,  x^Xot,  —  literally,  the  crooked  in  hand  or  arm,  as  dis- 
tinguished from  x^^^o'i-)  the  niaiined. 

33.  From  this  verse  it  is  evident  that  the  disciples  had  not  under- 
stood the  previous  miracle  of  the  multiplication  of  the  loaves  (xiv. 
19-21).  Their  hearts  were  blinded  and  they  did  not  understand 
(Mark  vi.  52). 

36.  Upon  the  ground,  for  it  was  now  summer  and  the  grass  was 
burned  up  by  the  sun. 

37,  38.  The  differences  in  the  number  fed,  the  number  of  the 
loaves,  and  the  number  of  baskets  of  fragments  afterwards  taken 
up,  are  more  than  sufficient  to  distinguish  this  miracle  from  the 
previous  multiplication  of  the  loaves  (xiv.  19-21). 

Seven  baskets,  or  fish-hampers  ( <r7ri;pi5aj) .  These  were  large 
rcnmd  baskets,  with  a  flat  bottom,  used  for  carrving  fish.     It  was 


I04  ST.  MATTHEW  XV,  39;  XVI,  1-5 

39.  And  having  dismissed  the  multitude,  he  went  up  into  a  boat,  and  came 
into  the  coasts  of  Magedan. 

in  a  basket  of  this  kind  that  St.  Paul  was  let  down  from  the  wall 
of  Damascus  (Acts  ix.  25). 

39.  Magedan,  or  "  Magadan,"  called  by  St.  Mark  (viii.  10) 
"  Dalmanutha."  This  village  was  on  the  east  coast  of  the  Sea  of 
Galilee,  and  must  not  be  confounded  with  Magdala,  the  home  of 
Mary  Magdalen,  on  the  west  coast. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

The  Sign  of  Jonas,  1-4. 
The  Leaven  of  the  Pharisees,  5-12. 
The  Confession  of  Peter,  13-20. 
Jesus  Foretells  His  Passion,  21-23. 
Christian  Abnegation,  24-28. 

1.  And  there  came  to  him  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  tempting:  and  they 
asked  him  to  shew  them  a  sign  from  heaven. 

2.  But  he  answered  and  said  to  them :  When  it  is  evening,  you  say.  It  will 
be  fair  weather,  for  the  sky  is  red. 

3.  And  in  the  morning :  To  day  there  will  be  a  storm,  for  the  sky  is  red  and 
lowering.  You  know  then  how  to  discern  the  face  of  the  sky :  and  can  you 
not  know  the  signs  of  the  times? 

4.  A  wicked  and  adulterous  generation  seeketh  after  a  sign :  and  a  sign 
shall  not  be  given  it,  but  the  sign  of  Jonas  the  prophet.  And  he  left  them,  and 
went  away. 

5.  And  when  his  disciples  were  come  over  the  water,  they  had  forgotten  to 
take  bread. 

I.  This  visit  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees  took  place  after  our 
Lord  had  arrived  at  Magedan. 

Sadducees  were  one  of  the  three  philosophico-religious  sects 
among  the  Jews ;  the  other  two  being  the  Pharisees  and  the  Essenes. 
The  Sadducees  denied  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  the  immortality 
of  the  soul,  and  the  existence  of  spirits.     See  on  iii.  7. 

Sign  from  heaven,  such  as  the  calling  down  of  fire  by  Elias,  or 
the  stopping  of  the  sun  by  Josue,  and  the  like. 

2-4,  Verse  2,  after  the  words,  "  But  he  said  to  them,"  and  all 
of  verse  3  are  wanting  in  the  two  oldest  MSS.     The  argument  of 


ST.  MATTHEW  XVI,  6-13  105 

6.  Who  said  to  them  :  Take  heed  and  beware  of  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees 
and  Sadducees. 

7.  But  they  thought  within  themselves,  saying :  Because  we  have  taken  no 
bread. 

8.  And  Jesus  knowing  it,  said :  Why  do  you  think  within  yourselves,  O  ye 
of  Httle  faith,  for  that  you  have  no  bread? 

9.  Do  you  not  yet  understand,  neither  do  you  remember  the  five  loaves 
among  five  thousand  men,  and  how  many  baskets  you  took  up  ? 

10.  Nor  the  seven  loaves  among  four  thousand  men,  and  how  many  baskets 
you  took  up? 

11.  Why  do  you  not  understand  that  it  was  not  concerning  bread  I  said  to 
you:  Beware  of  the  leaven  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees? 

12.  Then  they  understood  that  he  said  not  that  they  should  beware  of  the 
leaven  of  bread,  but  of  the  doctrine  of  the  Pharisees  and  Sadducees. 

13.  And  Jesus  came  into  the  quarters  of  Cesarea  Philippi :  and  he  asked 
his  disciples,  saying:  Whom  do  men  say  that  the  Son  of  man  is? 

our  Saviour,  however,  is  that  these  hypocrites  could  forecast  the 
weather  by  observing  certain  natural  phenomena,  but  that  they 
could  not  understand  the  signs,  so  many  and  so  evident,  which 
proved  that  He  was  the  IMessiah.  Sufficient  signs  had  been  given 
in  their  midst,  and  consequently  a  special  sign,  such  as  they  desired, 
was  denied  them. 

6.  Leaven  of  the  Pharisees,  etc.  The  term  "  leaven  "  is  here 
used  in  a  bad  sense,  and  not  as  in  xiii.  33.  Here  it  means  the  false 
and  erroneous  doctrines  and  customs  of  the  Pharisees.  But  this 
false  doctrine,  here  condemned,  is  to  be  sharply  distinguished  from 
the  teaching  of  the  Law  of  Moses,  of  which  the  Pharisees  were 
the  lawful  expounders.  The  Law  of  Moses,  in  fact,  was  not  their 
doctrine,  and  it  is  only  their  doctrine,  their  useless  additions  to,  and 
false  interpretations  of,  the  Law,  against  which  our  Lord  is  warning 
His  disciples. 

7-10.  These  verses  again  show  that  the  disciples  were  slow  to 
comprehend  the  meaning  of  the  multiplication  of  the  loaves. 

13.  Borders  of  Caesarea  Philippi.  Going  from  Bethsaida,  near 
Capharnaum,  our  Lord  came  to  the  confines,  or  villages,  of  Caesarea 
Philippi.  "  Caesarea  Philippi,"  i.e.,  Philip's  Caesarea,  ancient 
Paneas,  was  about  thirty  miles  north  and  a  little  east  of  Caphar- 
naum. It  was  called  Philip's  Caesarea,  because  built  by  Herod 
Philip  II,  tetrarch  of  Ituraea,  and  named  after  Caesar  and  himself ; 
it  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  other  Caesarea,  built  by  Herod 
the  Great,  on  ilie  sea-coast,  north  of  Jaffa  (Joppa). 


io6  ST.  MATTHEW  XVI,  14-18 

14.  But  they  said :  Some  John  the  Baptist,  and  other  some  Elias,  and  others 
Jeremias,  or  one  of  the  prophets. 

15.  Jesus  saith  to  them :  But  whom  do  you  say  that  I  am? 

16.  Simon  Peter  answered  and  said :  Thou  art  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living 
God. 

17.  And  Jesus  answering,  said  to  him:  Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Bar-Jona : 
because  flesh  and  blood  hath  not  revealed  it  to  thee,  but  my  Father  who  is  in 
heaven. 

18.  And  I  say  to  thee :  That  thou  art  Peter;  and  upon  this  rock  I  will  build 
my  church,  and  the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  it. 


Son  of  man;  i.e.,  the  Messiah,  whom  our  Lord  identifies  with 
Himself  (verse  15). 

14.  Some  John  the  Baptist;  i.e.,  such  as  Herod  and  others,  im- 
bued with  the  doctrine  of  transmigration  of  souls.  Some  Elias. 
Through  a  misunderstanding  of  the  prophecy  of  Malachy  (iv.  5), 
it  was  commonly  believed  among  the  Jews  that  Elias  was  to  precede 
the  first  coming  of  the  Messiah.  Others  Jeremias.  Our  Lord's 
fearless  denunciation  of  wrong,  and  of  the  doers  of  wrong,  made 
Him  resemble  in  many  ways  the  character  of  Jeremias. 

16.  Thou  art  Christ,  etc. ;  i.e..  The  Christ,  The  Anointed,  The 
Messiah  ( 6  Xpiaros,  6  vios  rod  Qeov  rod  ^covtos).  By  this  confession, 
Peter  acknowledged  his  belief  that  our  Lord  was  the  true  Messiah, 
the  natural,  and  not  the  adopted  Son  of  the  Living  God.  He  spoke 
of  Him  as  the  "  living  "  God,  to  distinguish  Him  from  the  idols 
and  false  gods  of  the  Gentiles. 

17.  Blessed;  i.e.,  privileged,  or  highly  favored. 

Simon  Bar-Jona.  "  Bar  "  means  "  son,''  in  Chaldaic ;  "  Jona  "  is 
the  contraction  for  "  Johanna,"  the  Hebrew  for  John ;  hence, 
"  Simon  bar  Jona  "  means  "  Simon,  son  of  John." 

Because  flesh  and  blood  hath  not,  etc. ;  i.e.,  no  man,  no  human 
or  natural  helps,  had  enabled  Simon  to  make  this  supernatural 
confession.  Although  he  had  witnessed  for  a  year  and  a  half  our 
Lord's  miracles  and  holy  life,  still  this  was  not  sufficient  for  the 
confession  he  had  just  made,  which  grace  alone  could  inspire.  This 
verse  ofifers  a  proof  of  the  divine  sonship,  and  of  the  consequent 
plurality  of  persons  in  the  Godhead. 

18.  Thou  art  Peter,  and  upon  this  rock  I  will  build  my 
church.  According  to  the  Aramaic,  or  Syro-Chaldaic  language, 
which  our  Lord  used,  this  passage  would  run :  *'  Thou  art  Cephas 


ST.  MATTHEW  XVI,  19-21  107 

19.  And  I  will  give  to  thee  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  And  what- 
soever thou  shalt  bind  upon  earth,  it  shall  be  bound  also  in  heaven :  and  what- 
soever thou  shalt  loose  on  earth,  it  shall  be  loosed  also  in  heaven. 

20.  Then  he  commanded  his  disciples,  that  they  should  tell  no  one  that  he 
was  Jesus  the  Christ. 

21.  From  that  time  Jesus  began  to  shew  to  his  disciples,  that  he  must  go  to 
Jerusalem,  and  suffer  many  things  from  the  ancients  and  scribes  and  chief 
priests,  and  be  put  to  death,  and  the  third  day  rise  again. 

{Kepha),  and  upon  this  Cephas  (kepha),  I  will  build  My  Church." 
But  whoever  rendered  this  passage  into  Greek  used  the  masculine 
form  (tctpos),  in  the  first  instance,  as  applied  to  the  person  of 
Peter,  and  (reTpa),  or  the  feminine  form,  in  the  second  instance, 
as  descriptive  of  the  quality  of  stone.  Some  of  the  Fathers  under- 
stand the  "  rock  "  as  referring  to  Peter's  faith,  or  confession,  but 
this  would  not  interfere  with  the  usual  interpretation  which  refers 
it  to  the  person  of  Peter,  since  it  is  Peter's  faith,  or  confession  in 
the  concrete  that  are  in  question. 

Gates  of  hell,  etc. ;  i.e.,  the  power  and  strength  of  Satan,  and  of 
Satan's  kingdom,  shall  never  be  able  successfully  to  oppose  or 
vanquish  the  Church.  Gates  among  the  Orientals  signify  power; 
and  it  was  at  the  gates  of  a  town  that  rulers  were  accustomed  to 
sit  in  order  to  dispense  justice. 

19.  The  keys  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Keys  have  always  been 
a  symbol  of  power  and  supreme  authority ;  hence,  in  giving  to  Peter 
the  "  keys  "  of  His  Kingdom,  i.e.,  of  His  Church,  our  Lord  bestowed 
on  Peter  the  right  and  power  of  supreme  authority  in  His  Church. 

Bind  and  loose.  According  to  the  Hebrew  usage,  "to  bind  and 
loose"  meant  to  declare  lawful  or  unlawful,  with  respect  to  the 
Law ;  our  Lord  therefore  in  the  foregoing  words  gave  Peter  author- 
ity, as  head  of  the  Church,  to  make  known,  explain,  and  determine 
the  Law  of  the  Gospel. 

20.  Should  tell  no  one.  The  reason  for  this  command  is  not 
altogether  certain ;  according  to  some,  He  wished  to  avoid  unduly 
exciting  His  enemies,  who  would  only  be  the  more  irritated  against 
Him,  and  might  attempt  to  cut  short  the  work  and  time  allotted 
to  Him  by  His  heavenly  Father;  according  to  others.  He  wished 
to  admonish  His  disciples  that  the  time  for  an  open  manifestation  of 
His  Divinity  was  not  until  after  His  Resurrection  and  Ascension. 

21.  From  that  time;  i.e.,  from  the  confession  of  St.  Peter. 


io8  ST.  MATTHEW  XVI,  22-28 

22.  And  Peter  taking  him,  began  to  rebuke  him,  saying:  Lord,  be  it  far 
from  thee,  this  shall  not  be  unto  thee. 

23.  Who  turning,  said  to  Peter:  Go  behind  me,  Satan,  thou  art  a  scandal 
unto  me :  because  thou  savourest  not  the  things  that  are  of  God,  but  the  things 
that  are  of  men. 

24.  Then  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples:  If  any  man  will  come  after  me,  let 
him  deny  himself,  and  take  up  his  cross,  and  follow  me. 

25.  For  he  that  will  save  his  life,  shall  lose  it :  and  he  that  shall  lose  his  life 
for  my  sake,  shall  find  it. 

26.  For  what  doth  it  profit  a  man,  if  he  gain  the  whole  world,  and  suffer 
the  loss  of  his  own  soul?    Or  what  exchange  shall  a  man  give  for  his  soul? 

27.  For  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  the  glory  of  his  Father  with  his 
angels:  and  then  will  he  render  to  every  man  according  to  his  works. 

28.  Amen  I  say  to  you,  there  are  some  of  them  that  stand  here,  that  shall 
not  taste  death,  till  they  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  his  kingdom. 

The  ancients;  i.e.,  the  rulers  of  the  nation,  members  of  the 
Sanhedrim.     See  on  xv.  2. 

22.  23.  Lord,  be  it  far  from  thee.  According  to  the  Greek  idiom 
("IXewj  (TOi)  it  would  be,  "  spare  Thyself." 

Go  behind  me,  Satan.  Our  Lord  addressed  Peter  as  Satan,  be- 
cause in  the  present  instance  he  was  unintentionally  doing  the  work 
of  Satan,  by  trying  to  resist  the  will  of  God,  which  was  that  our 
Lord  should  suffer  and  die  for  the  redemption  of  mankind. 

Thou  art  a  scandal ;  etc. ;  i.e.,  an  occasion  of  sin  unto  Me.  Peter, 
in  his  solicitude  for  our  Lord's  welfare,  was  consulting  human  ease 
and  feelings,  rather  than  the  will  and  glory  of  the  heavenly  Father. 

24.  Will  come  after  me;  i.e..  will  follow  Me,  as  My  disciple. 

Let  him  deny  himself;  i.e.,  let  him  practice  self-denial,  mortifi- 
cation, sacrifice,  and  even  death  itself,  if  such  be  necessary,  to 
prove  faithful  to  Christ  and  the  Gospel. 

25.  The  meaning  of  this  verse  is  that  he  who  would  save  his 
temporal  life,  at  the  cost  of  duty  and  things  spiritual,  will  lose  his 
soul  eternally;  but  he  who  is  willing  to  suffer  the  loss  of  all  tem- 
poral things,  if  need  be,  for  the  sake  of  things  eternal,  will  save  his 
soul  eternally. 

2^.  The  son  of  man;  i.e.,  Christ  Himself. 

28.  Till  they  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  his  kingdom. 
According  to  some,  this  refers  to  our  Lord's  Transfiguration ;  ac- 
cording to  others,  to  the  spread  of  Plis  Church,  after  the  Resurrec- 
tion and  Ascension. 

The  Transfiguration  was  indeed  a  real  manifestation  of  Christ 


ST.  MA^fTHEW  XVII,  1,  2  109 

in  His  glory,  and  a  passing  glimpse  of  the  glory  of  the  heavenly 
Kingdom ;  but  the  reference  seems  more  likely  to  be  to  the  glorious 
establishment  and  spread  of  the  Church  after  the  Resurrection  and 
Ascension.  In  this  sense  the  prediction,  ''  Some  that  shall  not  taste 
death,"  etc.,  was  more  truly  and  literally  verified. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

The  Transfiguration,  1-13. 

The  Lunatic  Boy,  14-20. 

The  Second  Prediction  of  the  Passion,  21,  22. 

The  Stater  in  the  Fish's  Mouth,  23-26. 

1.  And  after  six  days  Jesus  taketh  unto  him  Peter  and  James,  and  John  his 
brother,  and  bringeth  them  up  into  a  high  mountain  apart : 

2.  And  he  was  transfigured  before  them.  And  his  face  did  shine  as  the 
sun :  and  his  garments  became  white  as  snow. 

1.  After  six  days.  St.  Luke  (ix.  28),  speaking  in  round  num- 
bers, or  counting  the  incomplete  parts  of  the  first  and  eighth  days, 
says,  "  about  eight  days  after  these  words."  The  "  six  "  or  "  eight  " 
days  were  from  the  time  of  the  discourse  given  in  the  preceding 
chapter. 

Peter,  James  and  John,  who  were  our  Lord's  favorite  disciples, 
and  who  were  later  present  during  His  agony  in  the  Garden  of 
Gethsemani  (xxvi.  37).  The  reason  for  taking  three  was  very  prob- 
ably that  He  might  fulfill  the  requirements  for  legal  proof,  accord- 
ing to  the  Law,  "  in  ore  duorum  vel  trium  testium  stet  omne  ver- 
bum  "  (Deut.  xix.  15). 

A  high  mountain,  commonly  believed  to  be  Mt.  Thabor,  near 
Nazareth  in  Galilee ;  modern  interpreters  think  it  was  one  of  the 
peaks  of  Mt.  Hermon,  a  little  to  the  north  of  Caesarea  Philippi. 
To  some,  Hermon  seems  the  scene  much  more  likely  of  the  Trans- 
figuration. Jesus  had  gone  to  Caesarea  Philippi  for  the  express 
purpose  of  fleeing  from  His  enemies  in  Galilee ;  hence  it  seems  im- 
probable that  in  six  days  we  should  find  Him  again  in  the  very 
midst  of  Galilee  (Le  Camus). 

2.  He  was  transfigured  before  them.  The  glory  and  splendor 
which  shone  forth  in  our  Lord's  Transfiguration  was  not  so  muc'i 


no  ST.  MATTHEW  XVII,  3-5 

3.  And  behold  there  appeared  to  them  Moses  and  Elias  talking  with  him. 

4.  And  Peter  answering,  said  to  Jesus :  Lord,  it  is  good  for  us  to  be  here : 
if  thou  wilt,  let  us  make  here  three  tabernacles,  one  for  thee,  and  one  for 
Moses,  and  one  for  Elias. 

5.  And  as  he  was  yet  speaking,  behold  a  bright  cloud  overshadowed  them. 
And  lo,  a  voice  out  of  the  cloud,  saying :  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I 
am  well  pleased :  hear  ye  him. 

a  miracle,  as  was  the  veiling  of  that  glory  and  splendor  throughout 
the  rest  of  His  life  on  earth.  The  brightness  of  the  Transfiguration 
was  natural  to  our  Lord's  body,  and  is  now  perpetual  in  His  glori- 
fied state;  it  was  rather  a  miracle,  therefore,  that  this  heavenly 
brightness  should  not  have  appeared  at  all  times.  The  purpose  of 
the  Transfiguration  was  to  give  the  disciples  one  more  passing 
proof  of  His  Divinity  and  to  strengthen  them  for  the  trials  of  the 
Passion  before  He  submitted  Himself  to  the  "  scandal  of  the  cross." 
Our  Lord  foresaw  how  the  faith  of  the  disciples  in  His  Divinity 
would  be  tried  during  the  suffering  and  humiliations  of  His  coming 
Passion  and  death,  and  to  them,  and  through  them  to  us  all,  He 
consequently  vouchsafed  this  splendid  manifestation  of  His  glory 
as  God. 

3.  Moses  and  Elias,  the  former  representing  the  Law,  the  latter 
the  Prophets.  Talking  with  Him.  As  St.  Luke  (ix.  31;  xxiv. 
44-46)  informs  us,  Moses  and  Elias  were  conversing  with  our  Lord 
at  this  time  about  His  coming  Passion  and  death. 

4.  Let  us  make  here  three  tabernacles,  which  would  most  likely 
have  been  tents  made  from  the  branches  of  trees,  similar  to  those 
accustomed  to  be  used  on  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles.  We  have 
another  example  of  Peter's  failure  to  understand  the  plan  of  divine 
Providence,  which  was  that  our  Lord  should  suffer  and  die  for  the 
redemption  of  mankind. 

5.  A  bright  cloud  overshadowed  them.  According  to  the  more 
common  opinion  this  bright  cloud  enveloped  all  present ;  according 
to  others,  however,  it  overshadowed  only  our  Lord,  Moses  and  Elias. 
The  bright  cloud  was  an  indication  of  the  presence  of  the  divine 
Majesty;  Almighty  God  was  accustomed  to  appear  to  Israel  in  a 
cloud.  Cf.  Exod.  xix.  9,  16,  18;  xxiv.  16-18;  Deut.  xxxi.  15; 
3  Kings  viii.  10-12. 

This  is  my  beloved  son,  —  literally,  "this  is  my  son,  the  be- 
loved "  (6  {lios,  6  d7a7r77T6s).    The  word  ayainjTos,  when  used  in  con- 


ST.  MATTHEW  XVII,  6-10  in 

6.  And  the  disciples  hearing,  fell  upon  their  face,  and  were  very  much 
afraid. 

7.  And  Jesus  came  and  touched  them :  and  said  to  them,  Arise,  and  fear 
not. 

8.  And  they  lifting  up  their  eyes  saw  no  one  but  only  Jesus. 

9.  And  as  they  came  down  from  the  mountain,  Jesus  charged  them,  saying : 
Tell  the  vision  to  no  man,  till  the  Son  of  man  be  risen  from  the  dead. 

10.  And  his  disciples  asked  him,  saying:  Why  then  do  the  scribes  say  that 
Elias  must  come  first? 


nection  with  vios,  means,  everywhere  in  the  New  Testament,  the 
eternal,  the  natural  son  of  God,  as  distinguished  from  those  who 
were  sons  by  adoption.  The  Eternal  Father  now  utters  the  same 
testimony  regarding-  our  Lord  which  shortly  before  Peter  had 
given ;  the  purpose  was  to  strengthen  the  faith  of  the  Apostles  in 
the  Divinity  of  the  Saviour. 

Hear  ye  him;  i.e.,  obey  all  that  He  says,  He  is  the  Teacher 
whom  you  are  to  follow  and  not  the  Pharisees. 

6-8.  According  to  some,  it  was  night  when  the  Transfiguration 
took"  place ;  and  the  disciples,  waking  from  sleep,  and  beholding 
the  brightness  of  our  Lord's  transfigured  body,  were  terrified  and 
could  not  bear  the  blaze  of  His  unveiled  beauty ;  hence  they  fell 
upon  their  faces  in  adoration  and  fear. 

Saw  no  one,  but  only  Jesus.  This  was  when  our  Lord  had 
again  robed  Himself  in  His  humble,  human  form  as  man. 

9.  Tell  the  vision  to  no  man.  The  chief  reasons  for  our  Lord's 
thus  charging  the  disciples  have  already  been  given  in  the  com- 
mentary on  xvi.  20.  In  addition,  it  might  be  said  that  our  Lord 
spoke  thus  to  the  three  disciples,  on  the  way  down  from  the  moun- 
tain, lest  the  other  disciples,  on  hearing  of  the  Transfiguration, 
should  be  moved  to  feelings  of  sadness  and  jealousy. 

TO.  That  Elias  must  come  first.  This  question  was  put  to  our 
Lord  by  the  three  disciples,  as  they  descended  from  the  Mount  of 
Transfiguration.  Having  witnessed  the  glory  of  the  Transfigura- 
tion, they  doubtless  thought  that  the  reign  of  the  Messiah  had 
already  begim ;  and,  according  to  the  prophecy  of  Malachy  (iv. 
5,  6)  and  the  teachings  of  the  Scribes,  they  thought  that  Elias 
should  precede  the  Messiah,  hence  they  could  not  understand  how 
the  Messiah  had  come  before  Elias.  They  did  not  understand  that 
Elias  in  person  was  to  precede  the  second  coming  of  Christ  in 


112  ST.  MATTHEW  XVII,  11-18 

11.  But  he  answering,  said  to  them:  EHas  indeed  shall  come,  and  restore  all 
things. 

12.  But  I  say  to  you,  that  Elias  is  already  come,  and  they  knew  him  not, 
but  have  done  unto  him  whatsoever  they  had  a  mind.  So  also  the  Son  of  man 
shall  suffer  from  them. 

13.  Then  the  disciples  understood,  that  he  had  spoken  to  them  of  John  the 
Baptist. 

14.  And  when  he  was  come  to  the  multitude,  there  came  to  him  a  man  fall- 
ing down  on  his  knees  before  him,  saying :  Lord,  have  pity  on  my  son,  for  he 
is  a  lunatic,  and  suffereth  much :  for  he  falleth  often  into  the  fire,  and  often 
into  the  water. 

15.  And  I  brought  him  to  thy  disciples,  and  they  could  not  cure  him. 

16.  Then  Jesus  answered  and  said :  O  unbelieving  and  perverse  generation, 
how  long  shall  I  be  with  you  ?  How  long  shall  I  suffer  you  ?  bring  him  hither 
to  me. 

17.  And  Jesus  rebuked  him,  and  the  devil  went  out  of  him,  and  the  child 
was  cured  from  that  hour. 

18.  Then  came  the  disciples  to  Jesus  secretly,  and  said :  Why  could  not  we 
cast  him  out? 

glory,  and  not  His  first  coming  in  weakness  and  hnmilit)-.  It  was 
only  the  spirit  of  Elias,  in  the  person  of  John  the  Baptist,  that  was 
to  precede  the  first  coming  of  the  Saviour  (verse  12). 

11.  Elias  indeed  shall  come.  In  these  words,  our  Lord  refers 
to  the  coming  of  Elias,  in  person,  before  His  own  second  coming 
previous  to  the  end  of  the  world.  At  his  coming,  in  person,  Elias 
will  fulfill  the  prophecy  of  Malachy  by  gathering  together  the 
remnant  of  the  Jews,  and  the  Gentiles  scattered  throughout  the 
earth,  into  the  Church  of  Christ. 

12.  Elias  is  already  come;  i.e.,  the  spirit  and  power  of  Elias, 
in  the  person  of  John  the  Baptist.    See  above,  verse  10. 

14.  And  when  he  was  come  to  the  multitude.  This  was  the 
next  day  after  the  Transfiguration,  as  we  know  from  St.  Luke 
(ix.  37). 

Lunatic.  It  would  appear  from  verse  17,  below,  that  he  was  also 
possessed  by  the  devil,  which  possession,  according  to  St.  Mark 
(ix.  17),  showed  itself  in  a  kind  of  "falling"  sickness,  or  "epi- 
lepsy." This  also  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  he  often  "  fell  into 
the  fire  "  and  "  into  the  water."    See  on  iv.  24;  viii.  16. 

16,  17.  Unbelieving  and  perverse  generation.  These  words 
v/ere  addressed  directly  to  the  multitude  in  general ;  indirectly,  also 
to  some  extent,  to  the  disciples,  as  is  evident  from  verse  19.  Our 
Lord  expressed  in  the  words  of  this  verse  His  disgust  for  the  un- 


ST.  iMA'lTHEW  XVII,  19-22  II3 

19.  Jesus  said  to  them :  Because  of  your  unbelief.  For,  amen  I  say  to  you, 
if  you  have  faith  as  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  you  shall  say  to  this  mountain, 
Remove  from  hence  hither,  and  it  shall  remove ;  and  nothing  shall  be  impos- 
sible to  you. 

20.  But  this  kind  is  not  cast  out  but  by  prayer  and  fasting. 

21.  And  when  they  abode  together  in  Galilee,  Jesus  said  to  them  :  The  Son 
of  man  shall  be  betrayed  into  the  hands  of  men : 

22.  And  they  shall  kill  him,  and  the  third  day  he  shall  rise  again.  And 
they  were  troubled  exceedingly. 

faithfulness  of  the  Jewish  people,  and  especially  of  His  Apostles, 
whose   long   experience   and   training-   should   have  given   them   a 
stronger  and  a  better  faith.     For  this  reason  He  seems  to  long  for 
the  day  when  He  shall  be  gone  from  them  all. 
Jesus  rebuked  him;  i.e.,  the  evil  spirit. 

19.  Our  Lord  now  assigns  two  reasons  for  the  inability  of  the 
disciples  to  cast  out  the  devil:  (a)  their  lack  of  lively  faith;  (b) 
their  want  of  prayer  and  fasting.  The  disciples  had  the  habit  of 
faith,  or  ordinary  faith,  which  believes  in  a  general  way  that  God 
can  work  miracles ;  but  not  the  lively  faith  of  miracles,  which  be- 
lieves that  He  will  work  a  miracle  in  a  particular  instance. 

A  grain  of  mustard  seed,  a  proverbial  expression  for  something 
very  minute. 

This  mountain,  also  a  proverbial  expression,  for  something  very 
great ;  perhaps  also  there  w^as  actual  reference  to  the  Mount  of  the 
Transfiguration  from  which  He  and  the  disciples  had  just  before 
descended. 

And  it  shall  remove.  We  have  no  record  of  the  Apostles  having 
removed  mountains ;  but  we  do  know  that  they  performed  even 
greater  miracles,  such  as  the  raising  of  the  dead  to  life. 

20.  But  by  prayer  and  fasting.  To  perform  miracles,  our  Lord 
admonishes,  there  is  need  of  special  lively  faith ;  and,  in  some  in- 
stances, of  prayer  and  fasting ;  —  of  prayer,  by  which  we  become 
united  to  God,  and  of  fasting,  by  which  we  become  detached  from 
the  world  and  carnal  things. 

21.  22.  Here  our  Lord  refers  a  second  time  to  His  sorrowful 
Passion  and  death,  which  He  predicts. 

They  abode  together  in  Galilee;  i.e.,  while  they  were  passing 
through  Galilee  (avaaTp€(f)onevuv,  i.e.,  passing  through).  Cf.  Mark 
ix.  29. 


114  ST.  MATTHEW  XVII,  23-26 

23.  And  when  they  were  come  to  Capharnaum,  they  that  received  the  di- 
drachmas,  came  to  Peter  and  said  to  him :  Doth  not  your  master  pay  the 
didrachmas? 

24.  He  said :  Yes.  And  when  he  was  come  into  the  house,  Jesus  prevented 
him,  saying :  What  is  thy  opinion,  Simon  ?  The  kings  of  the  earth,  of  whom 
do  they  receive  tribute  or  custom?  of  their  own  children,  or  of  strangers? 

25.  And  he  said:  Of  strangers.  Jesus  said  to  him:  Then  the  children  are 
free. 

26.  But  that  we  may  not  scandalize  them,  go  to  the  sea,  and  cast  in  a  hook : 
and  that  fish  which  shall  first  come  up,  take :  and  when  thou  hast  opened  its 
mouth,  thou  shalt  find  a  stater :  take  that,  and  give  it  to  them  for  me  and  thee. 

23.  To  Capharnaum,  from  the  Mount  of  the  Transfiguration. 
The  didrachmas.    The  "  didrachma,"  or  two  drachma  piece,  was 

a  silver  coin  of  Antioch,  worth  about  31  cents;  it  was  a  tax  which 
each  Israelite,  from  twenty  to  fifty  years  of  age,  was  obliged  to  pay 
annually  toward  the  support  of  the  Temple  and  public  worship 
(Exod.  XXX.  13;  2  Paralip.  xxiv.  6). 

Came  to  Peter,  perhaps  because  he  was  head  and  representative 
of  all  the  Apostles. 

24,  25.  Jesus  prevented  him;  i.e.,  began  first  to  speak  to  him. 
The  kings  of  the  earth,  etc.  Our  Lord  asks  Simon  what  the  cus- 
tom is  of  earthly  kings  in  respect  to  paying  their  taxes,  whether, 
namely,  they  required  their  own  children,  or  only  strangers,  to  pay 
them  taxes.  Peter  replies  that  earthly  kings  receive  taxes  only 
from  strangers,  because  the  purpose  of  receiving  them  is  for  their 
own  and  their  children's  support.  Hence,  it  would  be  absurd  for 
them  to  require  taxes  from  their  children.  Our  Lord  replies  that 
the  children,  then,  are  free ;  and  the  inference  is  that,  since  He  Him- 
self is  the  Son  of  the  King  of  Kings,  He  likewise  should  be  free. 

26.  That  we  may  not  scandalize  them.  Although  really  ex- 
empt, by  His  nature,  from  paying  tribute  to  anybody,  our  Lord 
does  not  wish  to  appear  to  disregard  law  or  authority,  or  to  be 
unconcerned  about  the  service  and  support  of  the  Temple. 

Go  to  the  sea ;  i.e.,  to  the  Lake  of  Genesareth. 

A  stater.  The  '*  stater  "  was  equivalent  in  value  to  four  drach- 
mas, or  about  62  cents ;  it  was  also  equal  in  value  to  the  Jewish 
shekel,  which  was  officially  tariffed  at  only  51  cents. 

For  me  and  thee.  There  is  no  reference  to  the  other  disciples, 
because  Peter  was  the  representative  of  all,  and  perhaps  also  be- 
cause he  and  our  Lord  were  alone  at  the  time. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XVIII,  1-4  115 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

The  Greatest  in  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven,  1-5. 

Against  Scandal,  6-10. 

The  Lost  Sheep,  11-14. 

Fraternal  Correction,  15-17. 

Promises  to  the  Disciples,  1&-20. 

Christian  Forgiveness,  21,  22. 

The  Parable  of  the  Indebted  Servants,  23-35. 

1.  At  that  hour  the  disciples  came  to  Jesus,  saying:  "  Who  thinkest  thou  is 
the  greater  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven? 

2.  And  Jesus  calling  unto  him  a  little  child,  set  him  in  the  midst  of  them, 
3-    And  said :  Amen  I  say  to  you,  unless  you  be  converted,  and  become  as 

little  children,  you  shall  not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

4.  Whosoever  therefore  shall  humble  himself  as  this  little  child,  he  is  the 
greater  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

I.  At  that  hour;  i.e.,  while  they  were  at  Capharnatim.  On  the 
way  from  the  Mount  of  Transfig-uration  to  Capharnaum,  the  disci- 
ples had  got  into  a  dispute  as  to  who  should  be  the  greatest  in  the 
future  kingdom  of  the  Messiah,  which  was  most  likely  here  under- 
stood by  the  Apostles  to  be  the  kingdom  which  our  Lord  was  to 
establish  after  His  Resurrection.  There  was  still  a  glowing  memory 
of  the  Transfiguration,  and  as  their  minds  and  hearts  were  yet 
earthly,  they  expected  that  our  Lord  would  soon  establish  some 
glorious  temporal  kingdom;  and  this  is  why  they  were  disputing 
among  themselves  as  to  who  would  be  first  in  that  kingdom.  Some 
think  that  the  disciples  understood  by  the  "  kingdom  of  heaven  " 
the  abode  of  the  Blessed;  Maldonatus  says  they  understood  the 
Church  Militant. 

2-4.  Our  Lord  replies  to  the  question  of  the  disciples  by  a  con- 
crete illustration.  Referring  to  the  little  child  before  Him,  and 
endeavoring  to  lift  their  minds  from  the  thoughts  of  an  earthly 
kingdom  to  the  Kingdom  of  the  Blessed  above.  He  tells  them  that, 
unless  they  give  up  their  worldly  thoughts  and  contentious  pride, 
and  imitate  the  humility  and  virtues  of  children,  they  shall  never 
enter  the  abode  of  the  Elect.     As  humility  is  necessary  for  an  en- 


Ii6  ST.  MATTHEW  XVIII,  5-9 

5.  And  he  that  shall  receive  one  such  little  child  in  my  name,  receiveth  me. 

6.  But  he  that  shall  scandalize  one  of  these  little  ones  that  believe  in  me,  it 
were  better  for  him  that  a  millstone  should  be  hanged  about  his  neck,  and 
that  he  should  be  drowned  in  the  depth  of  the  sea. 

7.  Woe  to  the  world  because  of  scandals.  For  it  must  needs  be  that 
scandals  come :  but  nevertheless  woe  to  that  man  by  whom  the  scandal 
cometh. 

8.  And  if  thy  hand,  or  thy  foot  scandalize  thee,  cut  it  off,  and  cast  it  from 
thee.  It  is  better  for  thee  to  go  into  life  maimed  or  lame,  than  having  two 
hands  or  two  feet,  to  be  cast  into  everlasting  fire. 

9.  And  if  thy  eye  scandalize  thee,  pluck  it  out,  and  cast  it  from  thee.  It  is 
better  for  thee  having  one  eye  to  enter  into  life,  than  having  two  eyes  to  be 
cast  into  hell  fire. 

trance  into  Heaven,  so  a  greater  degree  of  that  virtue  is  necessary 
in  those  who  would  be  "  greater  "  there. 

5.  Here  our  Lord  says  that  whoever  performs  acts  of  kindness 
and  charity  towards  one  of  His  humble  followers,  for  His  sake, 
shall  receive  the  same  reward  as  if  that  charity  and  kindness  were 
shown  to  Himself;  and  in  St.  Mark  (ix.  36)  He  says  that  whoso- 
ever receives  Him,  receives  His  Father  also. 

6.  Scandalize  one  of  these  little  ones,  etc. ;  i.e.,  whoever  shall 
be  the  cause  of  the  spiritual  ruin  of  one  of  Christ's  humble  fol- 
lowers. Scandal  is  "  any  word  or  deed  which  may  be  the  cause  or 
occasion  of  another's  spiritual  ruin  "  (St.  Thomas). 

A  mill-stone,  —  literally,  an  "ass  millstone"  {ixv\os  ovmos) ,  or  a 
stone  so  large  as  to  require  an  ass  ( '6vos )  to  turn  it.  St.  Jerome  tells 
us  that  the  form  of  punishment  spoken  of  in  this  verse  was  inflicted 
for  grievous  crimes  among  the  Jews  and  Assyrians. 

7.  It  must  needs  be  that  scandals  come.  That  there  should  be 
scandals  in  the  world  is  a  necessity  arising  from  the  perversity  and 
sinfulness  of  human  nature.  This  necessity,  however,  is  not  one 
that  destroys  human  liberty,  for  scandal  is  not  necessary  in  any  par- 
ticular instance.  Terrible  is  the  malediction  pronounced  by  our 
Lord  upon  the  scandal-giver. 

8,9.  The  words  hand,  foot,  eye,  etc.,  are  not  to  be  taken 
too  literally.  They  merely  represent  something  which  we  consider 
very  useful  and  very  precious,  and  the  lesson  here  taught  is  that, 
no  matter  how  useful  or  precious  things  may  be,  we  must  give  them 
up  and  avoid  them,  if  they  endanger  our  spiritual  welfare  and 
eternal  salvation.    Cf.  on  v.  29,  30. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XVIII,  10-15  117 

10.  See  that  you  despise  not  one  of  these  little  ones:  for  I  say  to  you, 
that  their  angels  in  heaven  always  see  the  face  of  my  Father  who  is  in 
heaven. 

11.  For  the  Son  of  man  is  come  to  save  that  which  was  lost. 

12.  What  think  you?  If  a  man  have  an  hundred  sheep,  and  one  of  them 
should  go  astray :  doth  he  not  leave  the  ninety-nine  in  the  mountains,  and  go  to 
seek  that  which  is  g  aie  astray? 

13.  And  if  it  so  je  that  he  finds  it :  Amen  I  say  to  you,  he  rejoiceth  more 
for  that,  than  for  the  ninety-nine  that  went  not  astray. 

14.  Even  so  it  is  not  the  will  of  your  Father,  who  is  in  heaven,  that  one  of 
these  little  ones  should  perish. 

15.  But  if  thy  brother  shall  ofifend  against  thee,  go,  and  rebuke  him  between 
thee  and  him  alone.    If  he  shall  hear  thee,  thou  shalt  gain  thy  brother. 

IQ-14.  Despise  not  one  of  these  little  ones;  i.e.,  we  must  not 
disregard  any  of  Christ's  humble  followers.  It  is  a  mortal  sin,  not 
only  to  give  grievous  scandal,  but  also  carelessly  to  disregard  the 
spiritual  welfare  of  our  neighbor  (Summa  TheoL,  ii^  iiae^  qu.  xliii. 
a.  iv). 

Their  angels  in  heaven,  etc.  In  these  verses  our  Lord  gives 
three  reasons  why  we  should  not  despise,  or  carelessly  neglect,  the 
spiritual  welfare  of  any  of  His  children:  (a)  because,  so  precious 
are  they  in  His  sight,  that  each  one  has  an  angel  to  guard  him ;  (b) 
because  He  Himself  has  come  down  from  Heaven  to  save  each  one ; 
(c)  because  it  is  the  will  of  His  heavenly  Father  that  none  should 
be  lost. 

The  ninety-nine  sheep  represent  the  just;  *'  the  one,"  the  sinner. 
This  one  sinner  is  not  more  precious  in  God's  sight  than  the  ninety- 
nine  just,  but  there  is  more  actual  expression  of  joy  over  his  return 
to  penance,  than  is  felt  for  the  ninety-nine,  who  need  not  penance. 
Our  Lord  is  expressing  Himself  here  in  a  human  way,  and  only 
wishes  to  convey  that  great  joy  is  felt  over  every  repentant 
sinner. 

15.  Rebuked  him.  After  telling  the  disciples  to  avoid  scandal, 
our  Lord  next  tells  them  what  they  should  do  to  correct  their  erring 
brother,  if  need  be.  There  is  here  a  question  of  fraternal  correction, 
for  the  administration  of  which,  the  following  rules  must  be 
observed:  (a)  the  fault  to  be  corrected  must  be  a  grievous  one, 
and  it  must  be  private,  i.e.,  not  known  to  public  authority;  (b) 
there  must  be  a  well-founded  hope  that  the  correction  will  be 
fruitful. 


Ii8  ST.  MATTHEW  XVIII,  16-22 

1 6.  And  if  he  will  not  hear  thee,  take  with  thee  one  or  two  more  :  that  in 
the  mouth  of  two  or  three  witnesses  every  word  may  stand. 

17.  And  if  he  will  not  hear  them:  tell  the  church.  And  if  he  will  not  hear 
the  church,  let  him  be  to  thee  as  the  heathen  and  publican. 

18.  Amen  I  say  to  you,  whatsoever  you  shall  bind  upon  earth,  shall  be  bound 
also  in  heaven ;  and  whatsoever  you  shall  loose  upon  earth,  shall  be  loosed  also 
in  heaven. 

19.  Again  I  say  to  you,  that  if  two  of  you  shall  consent  upon  earth,  con- 
cerning any  thing  whatsoever  they  shall  ask,  it  shall  be  done  to  them  by  my 
Father  who  is  in  heaven. 

20.  For  where  there  are  two  or  three  gathered  together  in  my  name,  there 
am  I  in  the  midst  of  them. 

21.  Then  came  Peter  unto  him  and  said :  Lord,  how  often  shall  my  brother 
offend  against  me,  and  I  forgive  him?  till  seven  times? 

22.  Jesus  saith  to  him:  I  say  not  to  thee,  till  seven  times;  but  till  seventy 
times  seven  times. 

16,  17.  In  administering  fraternal  correction,  our  Lord  told  His 
disciples  that,  first  it  should  be  in  private,  between  the  offender  and 
the  one  offended,  and  if  this  were  not  sufficient,  they  should  tell  the 
'*  church,"  i.e.,  the  authorities  who  represent  the  Church ;  and  finally, 
if  they  could  not  by  these  processes  correct  the  offending  party, 
they  should  withdraw  from  and  avoid  him,  as  the  Jews  were  ac- 
customed to  avoid  the  heathen  and  publicans.  These  verses,  to- 
gether with  verse  18  following,  are  a  proof  of  the  definite  organiza- 
tion and  authority  which  Christ  gave  His  Church. 

18.  Whatsoever  you  shall  bind,  etc.  These  words  had  already 
been  addressed  to  St.  Peter  (xvi.  19 J,  by  which  he  was  given  power 
over  all  the  Apostles.  They  are  now  addressed  to  all  of  the  Apos- 
tolic college ;  but  to  Peter  alone  is  given  the  supremacy. 

19.  If  two  of  you  shall  agree,  etc.  These  words  were  spoken  to 
the  Apostles,  but  they  apply  to  all  good  Christians,  as  we  know 
from  vii.  7-1 1. 

20.  In  my  name;  i.e.,  in  devout  prayer. 

21.  This  question  of  Peter  likely  followed  upon  the  discourse 
regarding  fraternal  correction.  Peter  doubtless  thought  that  his 
charity  was  going  a  great  way  in  being  willing  to  forgive  his  brother 
seven  times,  since  that  was  four  times  more  than  was  required  by  the 
Jewish  masters,  who  based  the  duty  of  forgiving  three  times  only, 
upon  Amos  i.  3  ;  ii.  6 ;  and  on  Job  xxxiii.  29,  30. 

22.  Seventy  times  seven,  like  "seven  times  in  a  day"  (Luke 
xvii.  4),  means  as  often  as  he  may  offend. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XVIII,  23-35  119 

23.  Therefore  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven  likened  to  a  king,  who  would  take 
an  account  of  his  servants. 

24.  And  when  he  had  begun  to  take  the  account,  one  was  brought  to  him, 
that  owed  him  ten  thousand  talents. 

25.  And  as  he  had  not  wherewith  to  pay  it,  his  lord  commanded  that  he 
should  be  sold,  and  his  wife  and  children  and  all  that  he  had,  and  payment  to 
be  made. 

26.  But  that  servant  falling  down,  besought  him,  saying ;  Have  patience 
with  me,  and  I  will  pay  thee  all. 

27.  And  the  lord  of  that  servant  being  moved  with  pity,  let  him  go  and 
forgave  him  the  debt. 

28.  But  when  that  servant  was  gone  out,  he  found  one  of  his  fellow  serv- 
ants that  owed  him  an  hundred  pence :  and  laying  hold  of  him,  he  throttled 
him,  saying :  Pay  what  thou  owest. 

29.  And  his  fellow  servant  falling  down,  besought  him,  saying :  Have  pa- 
tience with  me,  and  I  will  pay  thee  all. 

30.  And  he  would  not :  but  went  and  cast  him  into  prison,  till  he  paid  the 
debt. 

31.  Now  his  fellow  servants  seeing  what  was  done,  were  very  much 
grieved,  and  they  came  and  told  their  lord  all  that  was  done. 

32.  Then  his  lord  called  him ;  and  said  to  him :  Thou  wicked  servant,  I  for- 
gave thee  all  the  debt,  because  thou  besoughtest  me : 

33.  Shouldst  not  thou  then  have  had  compassion  also  on  thy  fellow  servant, 
even  as  I  had  compassion  on  thee? 

■    34.    And  his  lord  being  angry,  delivered  him  to  the  torturers  until  he  paid 
all  the  debt. 

35.  So  also  shall  my  heavenly  Father  do  to  you,  if  you  forgive  not  every 
one  his  brother  from  your  hearts. 

23-35.  The  Parable  of  the  Unmerciful  Servant,  or  of  the  Ten 
Thousand  Talents,  contained  in  these  verses  is  found  only  in 
St.  Matthew.  It  is  the  first  of  the  parables  in  which  God  appears 
as  King.  Its  object  is  to  teach  us  the  enormous  difference  in 
gravity  between  offences  committed  against  God,  and  those  com- 
mitted against  ourselves,  and  the  consequent  necessity  of  forgiving 
our  offending  brethren,  if  we  ourselves  would  be  forgiven  by  God. 

Kingdom  of  heaven,  here  means  the  supernatural  dealings  of 
God  with  His  rational  creatures. 

Ten  thousand  talents,  nearly  $20,000,000.00;  it  is  intended  to 
signify  a  sum  impossible  to  be  paid.  This  shows  the  impossibility, 
on  the  part  of  any  man,  to  make  due  reparation  to  God  for  one 
mortal  sin. 

His  wife  and  children,  etc.  According  to  Roman  law  a  man's 
wife  and  children  were  a  part  of  his  property;  and  according  to 
both  Roman  and  Jewish  custom,  it  was  allowed  to  sell  an  insolvent 


I20  ST.  MATTHEW  XVIII,  23-35 

debtor's  wife  and  children  in  discharge  of  his  debts.  Cf.  Lcvit. 
XXV.  39  and  41;  4  Kings  iv.  i.  This  custom  is  referred  to  in  the 
parable  to  illustrate  the  strictness  of  God's  dealings  with  those  who 
are  unforgiving.  The  inability  of  the  servant  to  pay  his  debt 
illustrates  the  utter  bankruptcy  of  every  child  of  Adam  as  he  stands 
in  the  presence  of  his  God,  and  is  tried  by  the  strictness  of  the 
divine  law.  The  dreadful  command  that  he  shall  be  sold  and  all 
that  he  has,  is  the  expression  of  God's  right  and  power  altogether 
to  alienate  from  Himself,  reject,  and  deliver  over  into  bondage  ail 
those  who  have  thus  come  short  of  His  glory ;  and  that  these, 
unless  they  repent  and  be  forgiven,  shall  be  punished  by  everlasting 
destruction  from  the  presence  of  the  Lord  and  the  glory  of  His 
power  (Trench). 

Forgave  him  the  debt,  which  shows  that  God  is  willing  and 
ready  at  all  times  to  forgive  the  repentant  sinner,  however  great 
may  have  been  his  offences. 

Fellow-servants.  This  term  does  not  imply  equality  of  rank, 
but  only  that  they  both  stood  in  the  relation  of  servants  to  a  com- 
mon master. 

An  hundred  pence,  about  $16  or  $17  in  our  money.. 

Torturers.  These  tormentors  in  that  other  world  of  woe,  whereof 
this  prison  is  a  figure,  are  fellow-sinners  and  evil  angels  —  instru- 
ments of  the  just  yet  terrible  judgments  of  God. 

Until  he  paid  all  the  debt  (verse  34),  does  not  mean  that  the  serv- 
ant's former  sin  (debt)  returned;  sins,  once  forgiven,  never  re- 
turn ;  the  unmerciful  servant  is  therefore  punished,  not  for  his  old 
debt,  but  for  his  new  sin  of  heartlessness  toward  his  fellow-servant. 
St.  Aug.,  Cajetan,  and  others  have  explained  the  difficulty  concern- 
ing the  reviviscence  of  remitted  sin  as  follows :  "  Repetuntur  debita 
semel  donata,  non  ut  fuerant  prius  debita,  sed  ut  modo  ef¥ecta  sunt 
materia  ingratitudinis  "  (St.  Aug.).  The  punishment  of  the  un- 
merciful servant  is  to  continue  without  end.  So  it  shall  be  with 
us,  if  we  do  not  from  our  hearts  forgive  those  who  offend  us  and 
do  us  harm. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XIX,  1-3  121 


CHAPTER   XIX 

Jesus  on  His  Way  lp  to  Jerusalem,  i,  2. 

Divorce,  3-12. 

Jesus  and  the  Little  Children,  13-15. 

The  Rich  Young  Man,  16-26. 

The  Reward  of  Following  Jesus,  27-30. 

1.  And  it  came  to  pass  when  Jesus  had  ended  these  words,  he  departed  from 
Galilee,  and  came  into  the  coasts  of  Judea,  beyond  Jordan. 

2.  And  great  multitudes  followed  him  :  and  he  healed  them  there. 

3.  And  there  came  to  him  the  Pharisees  tempting  him,  and  saying:  Is  it 
lawful  for  a  man  to  put  away  his  wife  for  every  cause? 

1.  He  departed  from  Galilee.  This  departure  of  our  Lord  from 
Galilee  is  recorded  by  Mark  (x.  i)  and  Luke  (xvii.  11).  Our 
Saviour  was  leaving  Galilee  for  the  last  time  and  was  going  up  to 
Jerusalem  to  suffer  and  die,  in  accordance  with  the  promise  He  had 
made  (xvi.  21).  Between  this  final  departure  and  the  events  re- 
corded in  the  preceding  chapter  five  or  six  months  had  elapsed.  Our 
authorities  for  the  occurrences  during  those  months  are  Luke 
(ix.  51-xvii.  10)  and  John  (vii.  2-xi.  56).  The  sequence  of  events 
between  the  Transfiguration  and  the  last  journey  of  Jesus  to  Jeru- 
salem is  one  of  the  most  difficult  questions  in  the  Gospels.  See 
Fouard,  The  Christ  the  Son  of  God,  vol.  ii.  Appendix  ix. 

Came  into  the  coasts  of  Judea  beyond  the  Jordan,  i.e.,  into  the 
confines  of  Judea  and  Peraea.  "  And  "  should  bo  understood  here 
before  "  beyond  the  Jordan."  See  on  Mark  x.  i.  Jesus  came  from 
Capharnaum  to  Judea  by  way  of  Peraea,  the  country  east  of  the 
Jordan.  His  purpose  in  taking  this  route  was  probably  to  escape 
the  notice  of  His  enemies. 

2.  Followed  him;  i.e..  into  Peraea. 

3.  To  put  away  his  wife  for  every  cause.  The  two  rival  schools 
of  Hillel  and  Shammai  differently  interpreted  the  words  of  Deut, 
(xxiv.  i),  on  the  subject  of  putting  away  one's  wife.  The  former 
school  held  that  any  cause  whatsoever  was  sufficient  for  separation, 
while  the  latter  maintained  that  only  some  '•  uncleanness,"  such  as 


122  ST.  MATTHEW  XIX,  4-8 

4.  Who  answering,  said  to  them :  Have  ye  not  read,  that  he  who  made  man 
from  the  beginning,  Made  them  male  and  female?    And  he  said: 

5.  For  this  cause  shall  a  man  leave  father  and  mother,  and  shall  cleave  to 
his  wife,  and  they  two  shall  be  in  one  flesh. 

6.  Therefore  now  they  are  not  two,  but  one  flesh.  What  therefore  God 
hath  joined  together,  let  no  man  put  asunder. 

7.  They  say  to  him :  Why  then  did  Moses  command  to  give  a  bill  of 
divorce,  and  to  put  away? 

8.  He  saith  to  them :  Because  Moses  by  reason  of  the  hardness  of  your 
heart  permitted  you  to  put  away  your  wives :  but  from  the  beginning  it  was 
not  so. 

adultery,  would  be  a  sufificient  reason.  See  on  v.  31,  32.  The  Phari- 
sees now  asked  our  Lord  which  of  these  schools  He  favored.  They 
thought  by  getting  Him  to  take  one  side,  to  excite  the  other  against 
Him. 

4,  5.  Have  you  not  read,  etc.  Replying  to  the  Pharisees,  our 
Lord  calls  attention  to  the  original  institution  of  marriage,  accord- 
ing to  which  man  and  wife  are  to  be  considered  as  one  flesh,  and 
therefore,  by  nature,  inseparable.  Thus  He  decides  against  both 
Hillel  and  Shammai,  and  shows  that  Moses'  permission  was  a 
political  condescension  rather  than  the  true  expression  of  the  moral 
law.  Moreover,  not  only  is  it  against  nature  to  separate  man  and 
wife,  but  it  is  against  the  positive  law  of  God,  as  is  clear  from 
this  verse. 

7.  If  marriage  is  by  nature  and  the  law  of  God  indissoluble, 
how  is  it,  asked  the  Pharisees,  that  "  Moses  commanded  a  bill  of 
divorce  to  be  given?" 

8.  Our  Lord  replies  that  Moses  did  not  command,  but  only  per- 
mitted them  to  put  away  their  wives;  and,  if  they  did  put  them 
away,  he  commanded  them  to  give  a  bill  of  divorce,  so  that  the 
man  putting  the  wife  away  could  never  reclaim  her,  and  she  might 
marry  another  man.  "  Giving  a  bill  of  divorce  "  was,  therefore, 
commanded;  but  "  putting  away  "  was  only  permitted.  And  the 
reason  for  this  permission  of  Moses  was  because  he  feared  that  the 
perversity  of  the  Jews  would  lead  them  to  put  away  their  wives, 
in  any  event,  or  would  cause  them  to  maltreat  and  even  kill  them. 
Hence,  this  permission  was  granted  because  of  the  hardness  of 
their  hearts;  but  our  Saviour  now  recalls  marriage  to  its  original 
sanctity  and  perfection. 

Tn  this  passage,  as  in  others,  our  Lord  both  recognizes  and  pro- 


ST.  MATTHEW  XIX,  9,  10  123 

9.  And  I  say  to  you,  that  whosoever  shall  put  away  his  wife,  except  it  be 
for  fornication,  and  shall  marry  another,  committeth  adultery:  and  he  that 
shall  marry  her  that  is  put  away,  committeth  adultery. 

10.  His  disciples  say  unto  him  :  If  the  case  of  a  man  with  his  wife  be  so, 
it  is  not  expedient  to  marry. 

claims  the  doctrinal  authority  of  the  books  of  Moses.  He  invokes, 
as  undeniable  authority,  Genesis,  in  particular,  and  the  very  pas- 
sages which  are  the  most  suspected  by  modern  critics.  Taking  a 
portion  of  His  testimony  from  the  first  chapter  of  this  book,  and 
a  portion  from  the  second,  He  implies  that  both  are  not  only  authen- 
tic, but  mutually  complementary.  (Le  Camus,  Life  of  Christ,  vol.  ii. 
p.  490.) 

9.  According  to  the  Council  of  Trent  (Sess.  xxiv.  can.  7),  and 
the  constant  teaching  of  the  Church,  the  matrimony  of  Christians, 
once  consummated,  cannot  be  dissolved  quoad  vinculum,  except  by 
the  death  of  one  of  the  parties.  This  same  teaching  is  explicitly 
found  in  St.  Mark  (x.  11,  12),  in  St.  Luke  (xvi.  18),  and  in  St.  Paul 
(i  Cor.  vii.  II  and  39;  Rom.  vii.  3).  After  reminding  the  Pharisees 
of  the  original  perfection  of  the  marriage  tie,  our  Lord  now  tells 
them  that,  on  account  of  adultery,  it  is  permitted  to  put  away  one's 
wife;  but  that  re-marriage  is  never  to  be  allowed.  Hence,  he  who 
puts  away  his  wife  cannot  marry  again  without  committing  adultery, 
nor  can  anyone  marry  her  that  is  put  away  without  committing 
adultery.  With  a  slightly  different  reading,  this  same  teaching  is 
found  also  in  v.  32.  The  Codex  Vaticanus  favors  the  reading  of 
V.  32. 

The  wording  of  this  present  verse,  as  well  as  of  verse  32  in 
chapter  v  of  St.  Matthew,  is  somewhat  embarrassing,  but  in  view 
of  the  parallel  passages  in  St.  Mark  and  in  St.  Luke,  and  the  teach- 
ing of  St.  Paul  on  this  point,  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  St.  Mat- 
thew should  be  understood  as  if  worded  as  follows :  "  Whosoever, 
even  though  it  be  for  fornication,  shall  put  away  his  wife  and  shall 
marry  another,  committeth  adultery."  "  The  best  MSS.  have  ni,  k-wl 
Topveia  ;  and  why,  instead  of  understanding  el  nij,  should  we  not 
say:  ^i)  koI  eirl  tropveiq,?"     (Le  Camus,  o/>.  cit.  p.  494.) 

TO.  If  marriage  entails  such  inevitable  burdens,  without  any 
way  of  escape,  the  disciples  concluded  that  it  was  better  not  to 
marrv. 


124  ST.  MATTHEW  XIX,  11-20 

11.  Who  said  to  them :  All  men  take  not  this  word,  but  they  to  whom  it  is 
given. 

12.  For  there  are  eunuchs,  who  were  born  so  from  their  mother's  womb: 
and  there  are  eunuchs,  who  were  made  so  by  men:  and  there  are  eunuchs, 
who  have  made  themselves  eunuchs  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  He  that  can 
take,  let  him  take  it. 

13.  Then  were  little  children  presented  to  him,  that  he  should  impose  hands 
upon  them  and  pray.    And  the  disciples  rebuked  them. 

14.  But  Jesus  said  to  them :  Suffer  the  little  children,  and  forbid  them  not 
to  come  to  me :  for  the  kingdom  of  heaven  is  for  such. 

15.  And  when  he  had  imposed  hands  upon  them,  he  departed  from  thence. 

16.  And  behold  one  came  and  said  to  him :  Good  master,  what  good  shall 
I  do  that  I  may  have  life  everlasting? 

17.  Who  said  to  him :  Why  askest  thou  me  concerning  good?  One  is  good, 
God.    But  if  thou  wilt  enter  into  life,  keep  the  commandments. 

18.  He  said  to  him:  Which?  And  Jesus  said:  Thou  shalt  do  no  murder. 
Thou  shalt  not  commit  adultery.  Thou  shalt  not  steal,  Thou  shalt  not  bear 
false  witness. 

19.  Honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother :  and.  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour 
as  thyself. 

20.  The  young  man  saith  to  him :  All  these  have  I  kept  from  my  youth, 
what  is  yet  wanting  to  me  ? 

II.  All  men  take  not  this  word;  i.e.,  all  do  not  find  it  attractive 
or  inviting  to  embrace  a  life  of  continency.    Cf.  i  Cor.  vii.  7. 

He  that  can  take,  etc. ;  i.e.,  if  one  is  willing  to  forego  marriage 
and  practice  voluntary  continence,  which  is  the  gift  of  a  special 
grace,  let  him  do  it.  But  only  he  can  do  this  who  has  been  especially 
called  by  God  to  such  perfection  and  who  is  the  constant  object  of 
God's  special  grace. 

13.  Little  children  presented,  etc.  The  Jews  were  accustomed 
to  present  their  children  to  men  of  great  holiness  for  their  blessing. 

14.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  of  such;  i.e.,  they  who  would 
belong  to  God  in  this  life  and  enter  the  kingdom  of  the  Blessed 
hereafter,  must  cultivate  the  humility,  candor,  innocence,  etc.,  of 
children,  and  must  accept,  like  little  children,  all  the  teachings  of 
Christ's  Church  (xviii.  3). 

16.  One  came  and  said  to  him,  etc.  This  man  was  very  rich 
(verse  22),  and  is  called  by  St.  Luke  (xviii.  18),  S.px(^v,  a  ruler. 

17.  One  is  good,  God.  Only  God  is  absolutely  and  essentially 
good ;  all  others  are  good  in  a  limited  way  and  by  participation.  Our 
Lord  is  here  gently  and  indirectly  calling  attention  to  His  own  Divin- 
ity, that  He  is  good,  that  He  is  God  and  superior  to  any  creature. 

18.  19.    Our  Lord  mentioned  only  those  commandments  which 


ST.  MATTHEW  XIX,  21-26 


125 


21.  Jesus  saith  to  him:  If  thou  wilt  be  perfect,  go  sell  what  thou  hast,  and 
give  to  the  poor,  and  thou  shalt  have  treasure  in  heaven  :  and  come  follow  me. 

22.  And  when  the  young  man  had  heard  this  word,  he  went  away  sad :  for 
he  had  great  possessions. 

23.  Then  Jesus  said  to  his  disciples :  Amen,  I  say  to  you.  that  a  rich  man 
shall  hardly  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

24.  And  again  I  say  to  you :  It  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  pass  through  the  eye 
of  a  needle,  than  for  a  rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

25.  And  when  they  had  heard  this,  the  disciples  wondered  very  much,  say- 
ing: Who  then  can  be  saved? 

26.  And  Jesus  beholding,  said  to  them :  With  men  this  is  impossible :  but 
with  God  all  things  are  possible. 

relate  to  our  neighbor,  —  the  precepts  of  the  Second  Table,  the 
proper  observance  of  which,  however,  involves  and  presupposes 
those  relating  to  God.  The  ninth  and  tenth,  as  being  included  in 
the  sixth  and  seventh,  are  not  mentioned  explicitly.  The  Saviour 
was  content  with  calling  attention  to  the  laws  of  the  Second  Table 
only,  because  these  were  more  directly  opposed  to  the  selfish  nature 
of  the  Jews,  and  were,  consequently,  most  neglected  by  them. 

21.  If  thou  wilt  be  perfect,  etc.  The  essence  of  the  Law,  which 
is  necessary  for  salvation,  consists  in  the  observance  of  the  com- 
mandments ;  but,  for  the  highest  perfection  of  the  Qiristian  life,  the 
observance  of  the  Evangelical  counsels  must  be  added.  These 
latter  are  not  necessary  for  salvation,  and  hence  are  only  counselled, 
not  commanded,  by  our  Saviour. 

22.  He  vrent  av^ay  sad.  No  one  knows  whether  he  ever  re- 
turned to  the  Master. 

23.  A  rich  man  shall  hardly,  etc. ;  i.e.,  riches  are  usually  a  grave 
obstacle  to  salvation,  as  it  seems  they  proved  in  the  case  of  the  rich 
young  man. 

24.  It  is  easier  for  a  camel,  etc.  This  was  a  proverbial  expres- 
sion among  the  Jews  to  express  something  very  difficult,  or  even 
impossible  naturally.  The  wording  generally  used  was,  "  an  ele- 
phant before  a  needle's  eye.''  Our  Lord  substitutes  *'  camel "  for 
"  elephant  "  most  likely  because  the  camel  was  more  common  among 
the  Jews. 

25.  26.  Riches  are  commonly  a  real  hindrance  to  the  service  of 
God  and  the  salvation  of  one's  soul,  but  God  can  do  all  things  pos- 
sible. He  can  even  put  a  camel  through  the  eye  of  a  needle,  by 
removing  from  the  "  quantity  "  of  the  camel's  body,  the  property 


126  ST.  MATTHEW  XIX,  27-29 

27.  Then  Peter  answering,  said  to  him :  Behold  we  have  left  all  things,  and 
have  followed  thee:  what  therefore  shall  we  have? 

28.  And  Jesus  said  to  them :  Amen,  I  say  to  you,  that  you,  who  have  fol- 
lowed me,  in  the  regeneration,  when  the  Son  of  man  shall  sit  on  the  seat  of 
his  majesty,  you  also  shall  sit  on  twelve  seats  judging  the  twelve  tribes  of 
Israel. 

29.  And  every  one  that  hath  left  house,  or  brethren,  or  sisters,  or  father,  or 
mother,  or  wife,  or  children,  or  lands  for  my  name's  sake,  shall  receive  an 
hundredfold,  and  shall  possess  life  everlasting. 

or  accident  of  extension.     And  hence  His  grace  can  likewise  lift 
man  above  perishable  riches  to  seek  those  that  are  imperishable. 

27.  We  have  left  all  things.  Having  heard  the  counsel  given 
to  the  young  man  concerning  voluntary  poverty,  Peter  now  asks 
what  he  himself  and  his  companions,  who  have  obeyed  this  counsel, 
are  to  expect.  It  is  true  they  had  not  much  to  leave,  but  God  looks 
rather  to  the  generosity  of  the  heart  which  surrenders,  than  to  that 
which  is  surrendered. 

28.  In  the  regeneration,  etc.  This  regeneration  began  with  the 
inauguration  of  the  Messianic  reign  —  with  the  preaching  of  the 
Gospel,  but  is  to  be  consummated  in  eternity  at  the  General  Judg- 
ment. Already  the  Apostles'  reward  had  begun,  for  from  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Church  they  were  constituted  its  judges  and  teachers, 
empowered  with  the  authority  to  promulgate  the  doctrines  of  Christ, 
to  regulate  discipline,  condemn  error,  etc.  Thus  even  in  this  world 
they  sat  "  on  thrones,"  namely,  on  seats  of  authority,  governing 
and  regulating  the  entire  Church,  signified  by  the  "  twelve  tribes 
of  Israel."  But  this  is  not  all;  hereafter,  at  the  General  Judgment, 
when  every  one  shall  be  judged  according  to  the  principles  of  faith 
which  the  Apostles  preached,  they  will  also  be  present  to  exercise 
in  the  judgment  some  special  distinction  of  authority  which  Christ 
Himself  will  give  them. 

29.  And  everyone  that  hath  left  house,  etc.  This  promise  is 
extended  to  all  who  voluntarily  renounce  what  this  world  holds  in 
store  for  them,  in  order  to  serve  Christ  more  perfectly  and  obey 
His  Gospel  more  exactly.  From  Mark  (x.  30)  it  would  seem  that 
this  promise  is  to  be  fulfilled  literally  in  this  world;  it  is  a  rule, 
however,  and  thus  admits  of  exceptions. 

Shall  possess  life  everlasting;  i.e.,  those  who  have  superadded 
the  counsels  to  the  observance  of  the  commandments,  shall  receive, 


ST.  MATTHEW  XIX,  30;  XX,  1  127 

30.   And  many  that  are  first,  shall  be  last :  and  the  last  shall  be  first. 

ceteris  paribus,  greater  rewards  hereafter  than  those  who  have  kept 
the  commandments  only. 

30.  Many  that  are  first  shall  be  last,  etc.  Many  who  are  now 
considered  great  in  the  eyes  of  the  world,  with  many  possessions, 
much  influence,  honor,  and  the  like,  shall  be  the  least  in  the  King- 
dom of  God,  if  not  entirely  excluded ;  and,  contrariwise,  many  who 
are  now  insignificant  and  lowly,  shall  be  saved,  and  shall  perhaps 
be  highest  in  Heaven.  This  verse  is  also  a  warning  to  the  Apostles, 
and  to  all  who  possess  spiritual  gifts,  that,  in  order  to  be  "  first  " 
hereafter,  they  must  persevere  in  their  good  purposes  and  cooper- 
ate with  the  high  graces  they  have  received. 

CHAPTER  XX 

The  Parable  of  the  Laborers  in  the  Vineyard, 

1-16. 
The  Third  Prediction  of  the  Passion,  17-19. 
The  Petition  of  the  Sons  of  Zebedee,  20-28. 
The  Blind  Men  of  Jericho,  29-34. 

I.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  to  an  householder,  who  went  out  early  in 
the  morning  to  hire  labourers  into  his  vineyard. 

I.  The  Parable  of  the  Laborers  in  the  Vineyard,  which  extends 
from  the  first  to  the  sixteenth  verse  of  the  present  chapter,  is  found 
only  in  St.  Matthew.  This  parable  cannot  be  rightly  understood 
out  of  connection  with  the  last  four  verses  of  the  preceding  chapter, 
as  it  was  called  forth  by  the  question  of  Peter,  "  what  therefore 
shall  we  have?"  (xix.  27).  The  scope  and  aim  of  the  parable  is 
primarily  and  directly  to  warn  the  Apostles,  and,  through  them, 
the  rest  of  the  Jews  that,  akhough  they  were  the  first  called  and 
favored  by  Almighty  God,  they  are  nevertheless  to  enjoy  no  prefer- 
ence over  the  Gentiles  in  Christ's  Kingdom,  either  here  or  here- 
after. Secondarily  and  indirectly,  the  parable  is  directed  against 
every  state  of  mind,  which  would  make  those  in  possession  of 
spiritual  privileges  feel  any  right  or  title  to  special  place  or  con- 
sideration in  the  Kingdom  of  God.  The  message,  therefore,  of  the 
parable  is  a  warning  to  Peter  and  the  other  Apostles,  and  through 


128  ST.  MATTHEW  XX,  2-8 

2.  And  having  agreed  with  the  labourers  for  a  penny  a  day,  he  sent  them 
into  his  vineyard. 

3.  And  going  out  about  the  third  hour,  he  saw  others  standing  in  the  mar- 
ket place  idle. 

4.  And  he  said  to  them  :  Go  you  also  into  my  vineyard,  and  I  will  give  you 
what  shall  be  just. 

5.  And  they  went  their  way.  And  again  he  went  out  about  the  sixth  and 
the  ninth  hour,  and  did  in  like  manner. 

6.  But  about  the  eleventh  hour  he  went  out  and  found  others  standing,  and 
he  saith  to  them :  Why  stand  you  here  all  the  day  idle  ? 

7.  They  say  to  him :  Because  no  man  hath  hired  us.  He  saith  to  them : 
Go  you  also  into  my  vineyard. 

8.  And  when  evening  was  come,  the  lord  of  the  vineyard  saith  to  his 
steward :  Call  the  labourers  and  pay  them  their  hire,  beginning  from  the  last 
even  to  the  first. 

them,  to  the  Jews  and  all  true  believers  against  a  wrong  spirit, 
which  would  lead  them  to  look  upon  their  spiritual  blessings  and 
favors  as  a  result  of  their  own  merits,  and  not  of  the  gratuitous 
grace  of  God ;  and  which,  consequently,  would  make  them  feel 
themselves  worthy  of  some  special  reward  or  privilege  in  God's 
Church,  either  militant  or  triumphant.  Our  Lord  would  thus  teach 
His  Apostles,  and  all  of  us  who  are  called  to  the  service  of  God, 
that,  however  long  and  abundant  our  labors,  they  are  nothing  be- 
fore God  without  humility  and  charity ;  and  that,  if  we  lose  sight 
of  these  virtues,  we  shall  in  the  end  come  short  of  the  reward  to 
which  our  labors  were  intended  to  lead. 

Kingdom  of  heaven  means  here  simply  the  manner  of  God's 
dealing  with  those  whom  He  calls  to  labor  in  His  service.  The 
householder  is  Almighty  God;  the  laborers,  those  called  to  the 
service  of  God;  the  vineyard,  the  Church. 

2.  A  penny;  i.e.,  a  denarius,  worth  about  17  cents.  It  was  the 
pay  for  a  day's  labor,  a  day's  wages.  In  the  parable,  according 
to  some,  it  represents  salvation  or  life  eternal;  but  this  seems  very 
improbable  for  the  following  reasons:  (a)  it  was  the  same  for 
all,  and  those  who  received  it  were  jealous  and  bitter  toward  their 
companions  whose  labor  was  shorter;  whereas  in  eternal  life  there 
can  be  no  rancor  or  jealousy,  and  the  degrees  of  glory  are  many; 

(b)  in  the  parable  the  gratuitousness  of  the  penny  for  the  last 
laborers  is  emphasized ;  whereas  eternal  life  is  the  reward  of  merit ; 

(c)  if  the  penny   signified  eternal  life  there   would  be   as   many 
chosen  as  called,  contrary  to  the  Master's  words. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XX,  9-15  129 

9.  When  therefore  they  were  come,  that  came  about  the  eleventh  hour,  they 
received  every  man  a  penny. 

10.  But  w^hen  the  first  also  came,  they  thought  that  they  should  receive 
more :  and  they  also  received  every  man  a  penny. 

11.  And  receiving  it  they  murmured  against  the  master  of  the  house, 

12.  Saying :  These  last  have  worked  but  one  hour,  and  thou  hast  made 
them  equal  to  us,  that  have  borne  the  burden  of  the  day  and  the  heats. 

13.  But  he  answering  said  to  one  of  them:  Friend,  I  do  thee  no  wrong: 
didst  thou  not  agree  with  me  for  a  penny? 

14.  Take  what  is  thine,  and  go  thy  way  :  I  will  also  give  to  this  last  even  as 
to  thee. 

15.  Or,  is  it  not  lawful  for  me  to  do  what  I  will?  is  thy  eye  evil,  because  I 
am  good? 

More  probably,  then,  the  penny  represents  the  gift  of  faith,  the 
call  to  labor  for  God,  the  gratuitousness  of  which  is  emphasized 
in  the  parable  in  respect  to  the  latest  called. 

A  day  means,  according  to  some  expositors,  the  period  extend- 
ing from  the  primeval  revelation  given  to  Adam  down  to  the 
Apostles.  Thus  the  different  hours  of  the  day  would  signify  the 
various  epochs  at  which  God  sent  a  special  call  to  men  to  come  and 
labor  in  His  service.  The  first  hour,  e.g.,  refers  to  the  primitive 
revelation  given  to  Adam ;  the  third  hour,  to  the  interval  between 
Noah  and  Abraham ;  the  sixth  hour,  to  the  time  between  Abraham 
and  Moses ;  the  ninth  hour,  to  the  period  between  Moses  and 
Christ ;  and  the  eleventh  hour,  to  the  Christian  dispensation. 

Other  commentators  by  "  day  "  understand  the  years  of  a  man's  life 
on  earth ;  and  these  see  in  the  different  hours  of  the  day  the  various 
stages  of  life  at  which  men  are  called  to  labor  in  God's  service.  Hence 
**  evening  "  (verse  8),  in  this  opinion,  means  at  the  close  of  one's 
life ;  while  in  the  former  opinion  it  refers  to  the  end  of  the  world. 

9.  They  received  every  man  a  penny.  This  shows  that  the  penny 
was  given  not  so  much  on  account  of  the  labor  done,  as  on  account 
of  the  goodness  of  the  lord  of  the  vineyard  (verse  15)  ;  it  shows  the 
gratuitousness  of  the  pay,  which  we  take  to  represent  the  gift  of 
faith.  God  is  free  to  distribute  His  graces  as  He  will,  and  labors 
in  His  service  are  profitable  for  eternal  life  only  in  so  far  as  ani- 
mated by  grace.  Hence  it  can  happen  that  some  may  labor  much 
longer  and  much  harder  than  others,  and  yet  be  rejected,  while  those 
others  are  received,  that  the  first  may  be  last,  and  the  last  first. 

II.  They  murmured.    The  discontent  of  the  munnurers  (imlcss 


I30  ST.  MATTHEW  XX,  16,  17 

i6.  So  shall  the  last  be  first,  and  the  first  last.  For  many  are  called,  but 
few  chosen. 

17.  And  Jesus  going  up  to  Jerusalem,  took  the  twelve  disciples  apart,  and 
said  to  them : 

we  disregard  this  notable  feature  of  the  parable)  seems  clearly  to 
show  that  the  "  penny  "  does  not  represent  salvation.  These  mal- 
contents mistook  the  gift  of  their  master's  goodness  as  something 
due  to  their  labors.  The  gift  of  faith  is  not  the  reward  of  merit ; 
but  faith,  which  is  accompanied  by  good  works,  can  merit  eternal 
life.  Not  all  who  are  called,  who  receive  the  gift  of  faith,  make  use 
of  their  gift  unto  life  everlasting. 

16.  So  shall  the  last  be  first  and  the  first  last.  To  some  scholars 
these  words  signify  the  utter  rejection  of  the  Jews  and  the  calling 
of  the  Gentiles.  Thus  the  "  first  "  who  become  "  last "  are  they 
who  are  entirely  excluded  from  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven.  The 
same  words  in  Luke  xiii.  30  are  in  favor  of  this  interpretation. 
Moreover,  this  interpretation  is  more  in  harmony  with  the  context 
(xix.  30)  and  with  the  words  which  follow  in  this  verse,  "  for  many 
are  called,  but  few  are  chosen."  Others,  however,  believe  that 
"  first "  and  "  last ''  refer  to  the  saved,  some  of  whom,  by  greater 
zeal  and  fervor  in  laboring  for  God,  attain  precedence  in  Heaven 
over  those  who  have  labored  longer,  but  with  less  fervor.  To  us 
who  have  the  gift  of  faith  the  words  of  this  verse  contain  a  warn- 
ing of  what  may  occur  in  our  regard,  if  we  are  neglectful  of  grace, 
rather  than  a  prophecy  of  what  is  to  be. 

For  many  are  called,  but  few  are  chosen.  These  words,  which 
are  also  found  in  xxii.  14,  are  omitted  here,  according  to  the 
best  MSS.  A  very  probable  meaning  is  that  many  are  called 
to  the  service  of  God,  which,  if  rightly  discharged,  merits  eternal 
life,  but  few  are  the  objects  of  God's  special  love  and  graces, 
by  which  special  sanctity  here,  and  special  reward  hereafter, 
are  obtained.  There  are  some,  however,  who  see  in  the  "  called  " 
those  who  are  lost,  and  in  the  "  chosen "  those  only  who  are 
saved. 

17.  Having  spoken  the  last  parable  in  Peraea,  our  Lord  crosses 
the  Jordan  for  the  last  time,  on  His  way  to  Jerusalem,  where  He  is 
to  suffer  and  die. 

Took  the  twelve   disciples   apart,   that  they  who   were   to   be 


ST.  MAITHEW  XX,  18-24  131 

18.  Behold  we  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  and  the  Son  of  man  shall  be  betrayed  to 
the  chief  priests  and  the  scribes,  and  they  shall  condemn  him  to  death. 

19.  And  shall  deliver  him  to  the  Gentiles  to  be  mocked,  and  scourged,  and 
crucified,  and  the  third  day  he  shall  rise  again. 

20.  Then  came  to  him  the  mother  of  the  sons  of  Zebedee  with  her  sons, 
adoring  and  asking  something  of  him. 

21.  Who  said  to  her:  What  wilt  thou?  She  saith  to  him:  Say  that  these 
my  two  sons  may  sit,  the  one  on  thy  right  hand,  and  the  other  on  thy  left,  in 
thy  kingdom. 

22.  And  Jesus  answering,  said :  You  know  not  what  you  ask.  Can  you 
drink  the  chalice  that  I  shall  drink?    They  say  to  him :  We  can. 

22,.  He  saith  to  them :  My  chalice  indeed  you  shall  drink ;  but  to  sit  on  my 
right  or  left  hand,  is  not  mine  to  give  to  you,  but  to  them  for  whom  it  is  pre- 
pared by  my  Father. 

24.  And  the  ten  hearing  it,  were  moved  with  indignation  against  the  two 
brethren. 

witnesses  of  His  Resurrection  should,  beforehand,  bear  witness  to 
His  free  submission  to  His  Passion  and  death. 

18.  Our  Lord  here  predicts  His  Passion  for  the  third  time,  the 
details  of  which  are  now  more  minutely  described. 

19.  To  the  Gentiles ;  i.e.,  to  Pilate  and  the  other  Roman  officers 
and  soldiers.  St.  Luke  (xviii.  34)  says  that  the  disciples  "under- 
stood none  of  these  things."  They  understood  Him  to  speak  of 
His  death,  but  they  could  not  understand  the  purpose,  reason,  and 
details  of  the  sufferings  which  He  predicted. 

20.  The  mother  of  the  sons  of  Zebedee ;  i.e.,  Salome,  mother  of 
John  and  James  the  Greater.  Asking  something.  Her  petition 
was  likely  prompted  by  the  mention  of  the  twelve  thrones  (xix,  28). 

21.  In  thy  kingdom.  Salome,  like  the  rest  of  the  Jews,  was  look- 
ing forward  to  a  great  temporal  kingdom  which  she  thought  our 
Lord  was  about  to  establish ;  and  it  was  most  probably  some  worldly 
dignities  which  she  wished  her  sons  to  enjoy  in  this  kingdom. 

The  chalice,  in  Scripture,  often  means  one's  lot  in  life  ( Ps.  x.  7 ; 
XV.  5;  xxii.  5,  etc.).  Here  it  means  our  Lord's  sufferings  and 
death. 

We  can.  So  great  was  the  ambition  of  James  and  John  for 
prominence  in  our  Lord's  kingdom,  that  they  really  felt  they  could 
follow  Him  in  His  Passion,  not  realizing,  indeed,  the  full  import 
nf  their  words. 

23.  My  chalice  you  shall  drink.  James  was  martyred  by  Herod  : 
John  was  cast  into  boiling  oil  under  Domitian,  from  which,  having 


132  ST.  MATTHEW  XX,  25-34 

25.  But  Jesus  called  them  to  him,  and  said :  You  know  that  the  princes  of 
the  Gentiles  lord  it  over  them ;  and  they  that  are  the  greater,  exercise  power 
upon  them. 

26.  It  shall  not  be  so  among  you :  but  whosoever  will  be  the  greater  among 
you,  let  him  be  your  minister : 

27.  And  he  that  will  be  first  among  you,  shall  be  your  servant. 

28.  Even  as  the  Son  of  man  is  not  come  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  min- 
ister, and  to  give  his  life  a  redemption  for  many. 

29.  And  when  they  went  out  from  Jericho,  a  great  multitude  followed  him. 

30.  And  behold  two  blind  men  sitting  by  the  way  side,  heard  that  Jesus 
passed  by,  and  they  cried  out,  saying:  O  Lord,  thou  son  of  David,  have  mercy 
on  us. 

31.  And  the  multitude  rebuked  them  that  they  should  hold  their  peace. 
But  they  cried  out  the  more,  saying :  O  Lord,  thou  son  of  David,  have  mercy 
on  us. 

32.  And  Jesus  stood,  and  called  them,  and  said :  What  will  ye  that  I  do  to 
you? 

33.  They  say  to  him :  Lord,  that  our  eyes  be  opened. 

34.  And  Jesus  having  compassion  on  them,  touched  their  eyes.  And  im- 
mediately they  saw,  and  followed  him. 

been  miraculously  delivered,  he  was  banished  to  the  Island  of 
Patmos. 

Is  not  mine  to  give  to  you.  The  "  you  "  is  not  in  the  Greek. 
Our  Lord  means  that  it  is  not  His,  as  man,  to  grant  such  favors, 
since  all  has  been  prepared,  i.e.,  predestined,  by  His  Father. 

25-28.  In  these  verses,  our  Lord  calls  attention  to  the  way  pagan 
rulers  and  potentates  tyrannize  over  their  subjects,  and  He  implies 
that  the  unregulated  ambition  and  indignation,  just  displayed  by 
the  Apostles,  makes  them  similar  in  their  actions  to  those  pagans, 
whereas  their  conduct  should  be  the  very  opposite.  He  is  again 
inculcating  lessons  of  charity  and  humility,  and  He  points  to  Him- 
self as  the  model  which  they  are  to  imitate. 

29.  Jericho  is  about  15  miles  northeast  of  Jerusalem,  and  is  on 
the  road  from  Peraea  to  Jerusalem.  It  lies  deep  down  in  the 
Jordan  valley,  nearly  1200  feet  below  sea-level.  From  Jericho  to 
Jerusalem  it  was  a  journey  of  about  six  hours  up  a  steep  ascent, 
the  latter  city  being  about  2500  feet  above  sea-level. 

30.  Two  blind  men.  This  same  miracle  is  recorded  by  Mark 
(x.  46),  where,  however,  only  one  blind  man,  Bartimeus,  is  spoken 
of.  This  difficulty  is  generally  explained  by  saying  that  Mark 
mentions  only  one  of  the  two,  because  himself  or  his  blindness  was 
the  more  widely  known.     In   Luke    (xviii.  35)    we  have  mention 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXI,  1-6  133 

of  a  similar  miracle,  the  only  difference  being  that  Luke  speaks  of 
it  as  having  taken  place  when  they  approached  Jericho  rather  than 
when  they  were  leaving  the  city.  One  explanation  of  this  difficulty  is 
that  the  word  "  approach  "  means  when  they  were  "  near  "  or  in  the 
"  vicinity  of  "  the  city.  Others  think  that  St.  Luke  is  speaking  of 
a  different  miracle  performed  at  another  time ;  still  others,  that  the 
blind  man  cried  out  for  his  cure  as  Jesus  entered  the  city,  but  was 
not  cured  until  the  Saviour  was  leaving  it  (Luke  xviii.  40-43). 


CHAPTER  XXI 

Palm  Sunday  —  Jesus  Enters  Jerusalem,  i-ii. 

The  Traffickers  in  the  Temple,  12-17. 

The  Cursed  Fig-tree,  18-22. 

By  what  Authority,  23-27. 

The  Parable  of  the  Two  Sons,  28-32. 

The  Parable  of  the  Wicked  Husbandmen,  33-46. 

1.  And  when  they  drew  nigh  to  Jerusalem,  and  were  come  to  Bethphage, 
unto  mount  Olivet,  then  Jesus  sent  two  disciples, 

2.  Saying  to  them :  Go  ye  into  the  village  that  is  over  against  you,  and  im- 
mediately you  shall  find  an  ass  tied,  and  a  colt  with  her :  loose  them  and  bring 
them  to  me. 

3.  And  if  any  man  shall  say  anything  to  you,  say  ye,  that  the  Lord  hath 
need  of  them :  and  forthwith  he  will  let  them  go. 

4.  Now  all  this  was  done  that  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  was  spoken  by  the 
prophet,  saying : 

5.  Tell  ye  the  daughter  of  Sion  :  Behold  thy  king  cometh  to  thee,  meek,  and 
sitting  upon  an  ass,  and  a  colt  the  foal  of  her  that  is  used  to  the  yoke. 

6.  And  the  disciples  going,  did  as  Jesus  commanded  them. 

1.  Were  come  to  Bethphage.  Bethany  and  Bethphage  are  close 
to  each  other  on  the  east  side  of  the  IMount  of  Olives,  and  about 
two  miles  east  of  Jerusalem.  The  Saturday  before  Palm  Sunday, 
our  Lord  stayed  at  Bethany,  where  He  was  entertained  by  Martha 
and  Mary ;  the  next  morning  He  passed  on  to  Jerusalem.  Mount 
Olivet,  which  is  the  same  as  Mount  of  Olives.  See  on  Luke 
xix.  29. 

2.  The  village  was  probably  Bethphage,  through  which  they 
passed  after  leaving  Bethany. 

4,  5.    In  the  Orient,  the  ass  was  the  animal  used  to  carry  kings, 


134  ST.  MATTHEW  XXI,  7-12 

7.  And  they  brought  the  ass  and  the  colt,  and  laid  their  garments  upon 
them,  and  made  him  sit  thereon. 

8.  And  a  very  great  multitude  spread  their  garments  in  the  way :  and  others 
cut  boughs  from  the  trees,  and  strewed  them  in  the  way : 

9.  And  the  multitudes  that  went  before  and  that  followed,  cried,  saying: 
Hosanna  to  the  son  of  David :  Blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord :  Hosanna  in  the  highest. 

10.  And  when  he  was  come  into  Jerusalem,  the  whole  city  was  moved,  say- 
ing: Who  is  this? 

11.  And  the  people  said:  This  is  Jesus  the  prophet,  from  Nazareth  of 
Galilee. 

12.  And  Jesus  went  into  the  temple  of  God,  and  cast  out  all  them  that  sold 
and  bought  in  the  temple,  and  overthrew  the  tables  of  the  money  changers, 
and  the  chairs  of  them  that  sold  doves : 


prophets,  etc.,  and  our  Lord  was  now  to  fulfill  the  prophecy  ut- 
tered concerning  the  Messiah  by  Isaias  (Ixii.  11)  and  Zacharias 
(ix,  9),  so  that  the  Jews  might  recognize  Him  as  the  Messiah. 
The  other  three  Evangelists  tell  us  that  the  colt,  '"  on  which  no  man 
had  sat,"  was  ridden,  while  the  mother  of  the  colt  walked  or  trotted 
alongside. 

7.  To  spread  garments,  palms,  and  the  like,  before  one,  was  to 
pay  him  special  honor,  as  a  king  or  leader.  Cf.  4  Kings  ix.  13; 
2  Mach.  X.  7;  I  Mach.  xiii.  51.  The  text  of  St,  Matthew  here 
offers  a  difficulty ;  from  the  words,  k-KeKadiaev  eiravo}  avrCiv,  it  would 
appear  that  our  Lord  rode  on  both  animals,  which  is  improbable. 
To  explain  this  some  have  said  that  avTOiv  refers  to  inariuv;  others 
see  here  an  error  on  the  part  of  a  copyist  or  translator. 

9.  Hosanna,  or  Hosianna,  means,  "  save,  we  beseech."  It  is  an 
expression  of  joy  and  gratitude ;  hence,  Hosanna  to  the  Son  of 
David  were  grateful  and  joyous  words,  addressed  to  Almighty 
God,  beseeching  Him  to  save  and  spare  His  royal  Son,  the  Messiah, 
whose  coming  had  been  so  long  expected.  Hosanna  in  the  high- 
est means  "  from  the  highest  heavens,  save  and  protect  this  royal 
heir," 

11.  The  people  said;  i.e,,  those  who  had  gone  out  to  meet  Him. 

12.  Jesus  went  into  the  temple;  i.e.,  into  that  part  of  it  called 
the  Court  of  the  Gentiles,  to  which  Gentiles  and  legally  defiled 
Jews  were  admitted.  The  Temple,  as  rebuilt  by  Herod  the  Great, 
was  surrounded  by  three  Courts:  (a)  the  outer,  or  that  of  the 
Gentiles;   (b)   the  inner,  or  that  of  the  Israelites;   (c)   the  Court 


C  II  s  t  I  c     of    B  a  r  i 


HEROD'S  TEMPLE 

Based  ou  Actual  Survey  of  the  Site 
Scnie  of  Feet 


ST.  MATrHEW  XXI,  13-19  135 

13.  And  he  saith  to  them :  It  is  written,  My  house  shall  be  called  the  iiouse 
of  prayer;  but  you  have  made  it  a  den  of  thieves. 

14.  And  there  came  to  him  the  blind  and  the  lame  in  the  temple;  and  he 
healed  them. 

15.  And  the  chief  priests  and  scribes,  seeing  the  wonderful  things  that  he 
did,  and  the  children  crying  in  the  temple,  and  saying :  Hosanna  to  the  son  of 
David;  were  moved  with  indignation, 

16.  And  said  to  him:  Hearest  thou  what  these  say?  And  Jesus  said  to 
them :  Yea,  have  you  never  read :  Out  of  the  mouth  of  infants  and  of  suck- 
lings thou  hast  perfected  praise? 

17.  And  leaving  them,  he  went  out  of  the  city  into  Bethania,  and  remained 
there. 

18.  And  in  the  morning,  returning  into  the  city,  he  was  hungry. 

19.  And  seeing  a  certain  fig  tree  by  the  way  side,  he  came  to  it,  and  found 
nothing  on  it  but  leaves  only,  and  he  saith  to  it :  May  no  fruit  grow  on  thee 
henceforward  for  ever.    And  immediately  the  fig  tree  withered  away. 

of  the  women,  which  was  on  the  eastern  side,  between  the  other 
two.  To  avoid  the  inconvenience  of  bringing  their  victims  a  great 
distance,  those  Jews  who  came  from  afar  were  accustomed  to  buy 
in  Jerusalem  the  animals  which  they  presented  in  the  Temple. 
This  traffic  of  buying  and  selling,  and  of  exchanging  foreign  for 
Jewish  coin,  was  supposed  to  be  carried  on  in  public  places;  but  it 
had  been  abusively  introduced  into  the  Outer  Court  of  the  Temple. 
Our  Lord  now  cast  out  these  profaners  of  the  Temple,  as  He  had 
done  once  before  at  the  beginning  of  His  ministry  (John  ii.  14-16). 
13.  It  is  written.    See  Isaias  Ivi.  7;  Jer.  vii.  11. 

15.  Crying  in  the  temple,  hosanna,  as  they  had  done  the  day 
before  in  the  street. 

16.  Out  of  the  mouth  of  infants,  etc.,  as  in  Psalm  viii.  3. 

17.  Into  Bethania,  where  He  stayed  with  Martha  and  Mary. 
This  was  the  evening  of  Palm  Sunday. 

18.  In  the  morning,  which  was  Monday  of  that  first  Holy  Week. 

19.  Seeing  a  fig-tree.  St.  Mark  (xi.  13)  says  it  was  not  yet 
time  for  figs.  Our  Lord  knew  well  that  the  tree  had  no  figs  on  it, 
but  it  had  an  abundance  of  leaves  and  He  wished  to  draw  a  lesson 
from  it.  Accordingly,  He  makes  it  a  type  of  the  Synagogue,  or 
religious  society  of  the  Jews,  which  was  barren  of  fruit,  though 
plentiful  in  words  and  external  observances,  represented  in  the 
tree  by  leaves.  The  hunger  of  our  Lord  (verse  18)  represents  His 
desire  that  the  Synagogue  should  have  borne  fruit  by  faith  and 
repentance,  and  the  withering  of  the  tree  typifies  the  malediction 


136  ST.  MATTHEW  XXI,  20-26 

20.  And  the  disciples  seeing  it  wondered,  saying :  How  is  it  presently 
withered  away? 

21.  And  Jesus  answering,  said  to  them  :  Amen,  1  say  to  you,  if  you  shall  have 
faith,  and  stagger  not.  not  only  this  of  the  fig  tree  shall  you  do,  but  also  if  you 
shall  say  to  this  mountain,  Take  up  and  cast  thyself  into  the  sea,  it  shall  be  done. 

22.  And  all  things  whatsoever  you  shall  ask  in  prayer,  believing,  you  shall 
receive. 

23.  And  when  he  was  come  into  the  temple,  there  came  to  him,  as  he  was 
teaching,  the  chief  priests  and  ancients  of  the  people,  saying :  By  what  author- 
ity dost  thou  these  things?  and  who  hath  given  thee  this  authority? 

24.  Jesus  answering,  said  to  them  :  I  also  will  ask  you  one  word,  which  if 
you  shall  tell  me,  I  will  also  tell  you  by  what  authority  I  do  these  things. 

25.  The  baptism  of  John,  whence  was  it?  from  heaven  or  from  men?  But 
they  thought  within  themselves,  saying : 

26.  If  we  shall  say,  from  heaven,  he  will  say  to  us :  Why  then  did  you  not 
believe  him?  But  if  we  shall  say,  from  men,  we  are  afraid  of  the  multitude: 
for  all  held  John  as  a  prophet. 

pronounced   on   the   Jewish    Synagogue   for   its   sterility.      See   on 
Mark  xi.  13. 

And  immediately  the  tree  withered  away;  i.e.,  death  within  the 
tree  took  place  at  once,  although  it  was  not  evident  externally  until 
the  next  morning,  as  St.  Mark  (xi.  20)  observes. 

20.  The  disciples  seeing  it,  wondered.  This  was  the  next  morn- 
ing, Tuesday  (Mark  xi.  20). 

21.  See  above,  xvii.  19. 

22.  See  above,  vii.  7-1 1. 

23.  The  chief  priests  and  ancients,  —  an  official  body  sent  by 
the  Sanhedrim.     This  was  on  Tuesday  of  Holy  Week. 

By  what  authority.  The  priests  had  a  right  to  ask  this  ques- 
tion from  anyone  who  presumed  to  teach  in  the  Temple  without 
their  permission  or  that  of  higher  authority ;  but,  in  the  present 
instance,  they  were  at  fault,  because  our  Lord,  by  His  numerous 
miracles,  had  amply  proved  His  supreme  authority  over  all  things. 
They  wanted,  however,  to  discredit  Him  before  the  people  and  so, 
if  He  answered,  "of  God,"  they  would  accuse  Him  of  blasphemy; 
if  He  said,  "  of  men,"  they  would  reply  that  only  they  themselves 
could  give  him  such  authority,  which  they  had  not  done. 

25.  The  baptism  of  John,  —  embracing  also  his  teaching,  by 
what  authority  was  it? 

26.  Why  then  did  you  not  believe  him?  i.e.,  announcing  Me 
to  be  the  Messiah  ? 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXI,  27-33  137 

27.  And  answering  Jesus,  tliey  said :  We  know  not.  He  also  said  to  them : 
Neither  do  I  tell  you  by  what  authority  I  do  these  things. 

28.  But  what  think  you  ?  A  certain  man  had  two  sons ;  and  coming  to  the 
first,  he  said:  Son,  go  work  to-day  in  my  vineyard. 

29.  And  he  answering,  said :  I  will  not.  But  afterwards,  being  moved  with 
repentance,  he  went. 

30.  And  coming  to  the  other,  he  said  in  like  manner.  And  he  answering, 
said :  I  go.  Sir;  and  he  went  not. 

31.  Which  of  the  two  did  the  father's  will?  They  say  to  him:  The  first. 
Jesus  saith  to  them  :  Amen  I  say  to  you,  that  the  publicans  and  the  harlots  shall 
go  into  the  kingdom  of  God  before  you. 

Z2.  For  John  came  to  you  in  the  way  of  justice,  and  you  did  not  believe 
him.  But  the  publicans  and  the  harlots  believed  him :  but  you,  seeing  it,  did 
not  even  afterwards  repent,  that  you  might  believe  him. 

2,2,.  Hear  ye  another  parable.  There  was  a  man  an  householder,  who 
planted  a  vineyard,  and  made  a  hedge  round  about  it,  and  dug  in  it  a  press, 
and  built  a  tower,  and  let  it  out  to  husbandmen;  and  went  into  a  strange 
country. 

27.  Neither  do  I  tell  you,  etc.  Our  Lord  did  not  deign  to  an- 
swer them,  since  they  had  lied,  and  so  might  take  His  reply  as 
an  approval  of  their  lie. 

28.  A  certain  man  means,  in  the  parable.  Almighty  God. 
Two  sons,  the  first  of  whom  was  a  type  of  the  publicans  and 

liarlots  and  all  public  sinners  among  the  Jews,  who  at  first  were 
unfaithful  to  God,  but  later  repented  and  obeyed  His  Law.  The 
second  son  represents  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  the  priests  and 
ancients  of  the  people,  who  proposed  to  serve  God,  but  did  not — 
who  drew  near  to  Him  with  their  lips,  but  whose  heart  was  far 
from  Him  (xv.  8). 

31.  They  say  to  him,  the  first.  Therefore  out  of  their  own 
mouths  they  were  condemned. 

Shall  go  before  you;  etc.,  which  meant  that  the  publicans  and 
harlots  would  repent  and  be  saved,  while  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees 
should  be  irrevocably  lost   (verse  -^2). 

32.  You  did  not  believe  him;  i.e..  they  did  not  do  penance, 
neither  did  they  recognize  our  Lord  as  the  Messiah. 

33.  Another  parable.  This  Parable  of  the  Wicked  Husband- 
men (verses  33-45  )  is  found  also  in  Mark  (xii.  1-12),  and  in  Luke 
(xx.  9-T9).  The  householder  means  Almighty  God;  the  vine- 
yard "is  the  house  of  Israel"  (Isa.  v.  7);  the  hedge  about 
it,  which  was  to  protect  it  against  its  enemies,  the  Gentiles,  refers 


138  ST.  MATTHEW  XXI,  34-39 

34.  And  when  the  time  of  the  f;:aits  drew  nigh,  he  sent  his  servants  to  the 
husbandmen  that  they  might  receive  the  fruits  thereof. 

35.  And  the  husbandmen  laying  hands  on  his  servants,  beat  one,  and  killed 
another,  and  stoned  another. 

36.  Again  he  sent  other  servants  more  than  the  former ;  and  they  did  to 
them  in  like  manner. 

2,7.  And  last  of  all  he  sent  to  them  his  son,  saying :  They  will  reverence  my 
son. 

38.  But  the  husbandmen  seeing  the  son,  said  among  themselves :  This  is 
the  heir :  come,  let  us  kill  him,  and  we  shall  have  his  inheritance. 

39.  And  taking  him,  they  cast  him  forth  out  of  the  vineyard,  and  killed  him. 

to  the  Law  of  Moses  and  the  special  protection  given  to  Israel 
by  Almighty  God ;  a  press,  in  which  the  grapes  were  squeezed 
for  wine,  represents  the  altar  of  holocausts  from  which  flowed  the 
blood  of  the  victims ;  by  the  tower,  which  served  as  a  place  from 
which  to  watch  their  enemies,  is  meant  the  Temple  of  Jerusalem ; 
the  husbandmen  are  the  faithless  rulers  and  teachers  of  God's 
people  in  every  age. 

Went  into  a  strange  country,  means  that  the  householder  did 
not  visibly  interfere,  but  left  His  servants,  the  prophets,  in  charge 
of  His  interests. 

34.  His  servants;  i.e.,  the  prophets,  such  as  Isaias,  Jeremias, 
Ezechiel,  etc. 

35,  36.  The  Jews  beat  Jeremias,  killed  Isaias,  stoned  and  put  to 
death  Zacharias. 

37.  His  son;  i.e.,  our  Lord,  whom  they  should  have  recognized, 
from  His  doctrine  and  numerous  miracles,  as  the  dear  Son  of  God 
the  Father. 

38.  His  inheritance.  Rather  than  recognize  our  Saviour  as  God, 
and  lose  thereby  their  positions  and  unlawful  hold  on  the  people, 
the  doctors  of  the  Law,  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  preferred  to 
reject  and  put  Him  to  death  (verse  39). 

It  is  to  be  observed  that  the  different  Synoptists  do  not  agree  in 
this  parable  as  to  the  number  of  sendings  and  messengers.  Ac- 
cording to  St.  Matthew  (verse  33  ff.)  the  King  sent  several  servants 
on  two  occasions;  according  to  St.  i\Iark  (xii.  2fif.)  he  sent  one 
on  two  occasions,  and  several  at  another  time ;  and  according  to 
St.  Luke  (xx.  10  fT.)  he  sent  only  one  on  three  occasions.  While 
all  three  accounts  are  equally  inspired,  it  must  be  that  two  of  the 
Evangelists,   at   least,   do  not   reproduce   the   exact   words   of   the 


ST.  iMATTHEW  XXI,  40-46  139 

40.  When  therefore  the  lord  of  the  vineyard  shall  come,  what  will  he  do  to 
those  husbandmen? 

41.  They  say  to  him :  He  will  bring  those  evil  men  to  an  evil  end;  and  will 
let  out  his  vineyard  to  other  husbandmen,  that  shall  render  him  the  fruit  in 
due  season. 

42.  Jesus  saith  to  them :  Have  you  never  read  in  the  Scriptures :  The  stone 
which  the  builders  rejected,  the  same  is  become  the  head  of  the  corner  ?  By  the 
Lord  this  has  been  done;  and  it  is  wonderful  in  our  eyes. 

43.  Therefore  I  say  to  you,  that  the  kingdom  of  God  shall  be  taken  from 
you,  and  shall  be  given  to  a  nation  yielding  the  fruits  thereof. 

44.  And  whosoever  shall  fall  on  this  stone,  shall  be  broken  :  but  on  whom- 
soever it  shall  fall,  it  shall  grind  him  to  powder. 

45.  And  when  the  chief  priests  and  Pharisees  had  heard  his  parables,  they 
knew  that  he  spoke  of  them. 

46.  And  seeking  to  lay  hands  on  him,  they  feared  the  multitudes :  because 
they  held  him  as  a  prophet. 

Saviotir.  This  same  discrepancy  in  minor  details  occurs  in  many 
other  passages  of  the  Gospels,  and  with  these  minor  differences 
the  theories  of  inspiration  must  not  forget  to  reckon. 

40,  41.  These  verses  predict  the  destruction  which  was  to  come 
upon  Jerusalem,  and  the  eternal  damnation  of  the  Scribes  and 
Pharisees. 

And  will  let  out  his  vineyard  to  other  husbandmen,  which 
meant  that  the  Apostles  should  take  the  place  of  the  Law,  and  the 
Gentiles  that  of  the  Jews,  in  rendering  to  God  the  honor  and  serv- 
ice due  to  Him. 

42.  In  the  Scriptures;  i.e.,  in  Ps.  cxvii.  22. 

The  stone;  i.e.,  our  Lord,  as  we  know  from  St.  Peter  (i  Ep.  ii. 
4-7).  It  is  vi^onderful  in  our  eyes;  i.e.,  the  power  and  wisdom 
of  God's  Providence  are  wonderful  in  the  eyes  of  men. 

43.  This  is  a  clear  application  of  the  parable,  and  our  Lord  says 
plainly  that  the  Kingdom  of  God,  which  means  His  Church  and 
all  the  blessings  that  go  with  it,  shall  be  taken  away  from  the  Jews, 
and  shall  be  given  to  others ;  namely,  the  Gentiles,  who  shall  yield 
fruits  worthy  of  God. 

44.  Whoever  shall  fall  on  this  stone;  i.e.,  whoever  shall  be 
scandalized  at  our  Lord,  at  His  doctrine,  and  lowly  life  and  pov- 
erty, as  were  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  shall  be  destroyed  by  God. 
By  on  whomsoever  it  shall  fall  are  most  probably  meant  those 
who,  after  our  Lord's  death  and  Resurrection,  should  refuse  to 
believe  in  Him  and  in  His  doctrine. 


I40  ST.  MATTHEW  XXII,  1-5 


CHAPTER  XXII 

The  Marriage  of  the  King's  Son,  1-14. 

The  Tribute  Money  to  Caesar,  15-22. 

The  Sadducees  and  the  Resurrection,  23-33. 

The  Greatest  Commandment  in  the  Law,  34-40. 

The  Messiah,  the  Son  of  David,  41-46. 

1.  And  Jesus  answering,  spoke  again  in  parables  to  them,  saying: 

2.  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  likened  to  a  king,  who  made  a  marriage  for 
his  son. 

3.  And  he  sent  his  servants,  to  call  them  that  were  invited  to  the  marriage; 
and  they  would  not  come. 

4.  Again  he  sent  other  servants,  saying :  Tell  them  that  were  invited,  Be- 
hold, I  have  prepared  my  dinner ;  my  beeves  and  fatlings  are  killed,  and  all 
things  are  ready :  come  ye  to  the  marriage. 

5.  But  they  neglected,  and  went  their  ways,  one  to  his  farm,  and  another  to 
his  merchandise. 

1.  This  Parable  of  the  Marriage-feast  (verses  1-14)  is  in  St. 
Matthew  only.    There  is  a  similar  one  in  St.  Luke  (xiv.  16-24). 

2.  Kingdom  of  heaven  here  means  the  Church  of  Christ.  The 
abundant  graces  and  blessings  found  in  the  Church,  as  a  result 
of  the  Incarnation  of  the  Son  of  God,  the  institution  of  the  Sacri- 
fice of  the  Mass,  and  the  sacraments,  are  likened,  in  this  parable, 
to  a  sumptuous  marriage-feast  prepared  by  a  king  for  his  son; 
hence  the  king,  here  spoken  of,  refers  to  Almighty  God. 

3.  Servants,  who  were  the  Law  of  Moses  and  the  Prophets  under 
the  Old  Law,  and  John  the  Baptist  and  the  Apostles  in  the  time 
of  Christ.  All  these  were  sent  out  as  servants  at  different  times 
by  Almighty  God  to  invite  the  Jewish  people  to  prepare  for  and 
accept  our  Redeemer  and  His  teaching. 

4.  Other  servants;  i.e.,  Paul  and  the  other  Apostles,  who  again 
went  forth,  after  the  Resurrection  and  Ascension  of  our  Lord,  to 
call  the  Jews  to  the  faith  of  Christ. 

5.  Then  as  now  the  Jews  as  a  class  were  engrossed  with  worldly 
interests  and  temporal  affairs,  and  prized  earthly  above  heavenly 
possessions. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXII,  6-14  141 

6.  And  the  rest  laid  hands  on  his  servants,  and  having  treated  them  con- 
tumehously,  put  them  to  death. 

7.  But  when  the  king  had  heard  of  it,  he  was  angry,  and  sending  his  armies, 
he  destroyed  those  murderers,  and  burnt  their  city. 

8.  Then  he  saith  to  his  servants :  The  marriage  indeed  is  ready ;  but  they 
that  were  invited  were  not  worthy. 

9.  Go  ye  therefore  into  the  highways;  and  as  many  as  you  shall  find,  call 
to  the  marriage. 

ID.  And  his  servants  going  forth  into  the  ways,  gathered  together  all  that 
they  found,  both  bad  and  good :  and  the  marriage  was  filled  with  guests. 

11.  And  the  king  went  in  to  see  the  guests:  and  he  saw  there  a  man  who 
had  not  on  a  wedding  garment. 

12.  And  he  saith  to  him :  Friend,  how  camest  thou  in  hither  not  having  on 
a  wedding  garment?    But  he  was  silent. 

13.  Then  the  king  said  to  the  waiters:  Bind  his  hands  and  feet,  and  cast 
him  into  the  exterior  darkness :  there  shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth. 

14.  For  many  are  called,  but  few  are  chosen. 

6.  Treated  them  contumeliously,  etc.,  which  refers  to  the  per- 
secutions received  by  the  Apostles  from  the  Jews  (Acts  v.  40-41  ; 
vii.  59)- 

7-10.  These  verses  refer  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  under 
Titus  and  Vespasian  in  a.d.  70,  and  to  the  rejection  of  the  Jews 
and  the  call  of  the  Gentiles  (Acts  xiii.  46). 

His  armies;  i.e.,  the  Romans,  whom  Almighty  God  used  to 
punish  the  unworthy  Jews. 

Highways  signifies  that  the  call  was  extended  to  all,  even  the 
most  distant  of  the  Gentiles. 

Bad  and  good.  Among  the  called  were  some  naturally  good, 
others  bad.  as  even  after  their  call  there  were  both  good  and  bad 
in  the  Church. 

11.  The  king  refers  to  Almighty  God  coming  to  judge  the  dead, 
in  the  Particular  Judgment,  at  death ;  and  in  the  General  Judgment, 
at  the  end  of  the  world. 

Wedding  garment  represents  charity,  or  sanctifying  grace. 

12.  He  was  silent,  with  terror  at  the  King's  discovery  of  his 
condition. 

13.  The  king  said  to  the  waiters;  i.e.,  to  the  angels.  Cf.  viii.  12  ; 
xiii.  42.  The  reference  to  exterior  darkness,  to  binding  of  hands 
and  feet,  etc.,  signifies  eternal  punishment.     See  on  xiii.  50. 

14.  Many  are  called,  but  few  are  chosen.  These  words  refer 
primarily   to   the   Jewish   people,   many   of   whom   were   called    to 


142  ST.  MATTHEW  XXII,  15-21 

15.  Then  the  Pharisees  going,  consulted  among  themselves  how  to  insnare 
him  in  his  speech. 

16.  And  they  sent  to  him  their  disciples  with  the  Herodians,  saying:  Master, 
we  know  that  thou  art  a  true  speaker,  and  teachest  the  way  of  God  in  truth, 
neither  carest  thou  for  any  man :  for  thou  dost  not  regard  the  person  of  men. 

17.  Tell  us  therefore  what  dost  thou  think,  is  it  lawful  to  give  tribute  to 
Caesar,  or  not? 

18.  But  Jesus  knowing  their  witkedness,  said :  Why  do  you  tempt  me,  ye 
hypocrites  ? 

19.  Shew  me  the  coin  of  the  tribute.    And  they  offered  him  a  penny. 

20.  And  Jesus  saith  to  them  :  Whose  image  and  inscription  is  this? 

21.  They  say  to  him :  Caesar's.  Then  he  saith  to  them  :  Render  therefore  to 
Caesar  the  things  that  are  Caesar's ;  and  to  God,  the  things  that  are  God's. 

embrace  the  faith  of  Christ,  but  did  not.  Secondarily  the  words 
may  also  mean  that  many  are  the  souls  of  men  that  are  called  to 
Christianity,  but  comparatively  few  embrace  it  and  remain  faith- 
ful to  it. 

15.  Then  the  Pharisees,  going,  etc.,  together  with  the  Chief 
Priests  and  ancients,  to  whom  our  Lord  had  been  speaking 
(xxi.  23). 

16.  The  Herodians.  These  were  friends  and  followers  of  Herod 
the  Great,  and  of  Herod  Antipas,  his  son,  who  was  tetrarch  of 
Galilee,  and  who  had  come  to  Jerusalem  at  this  time  for  the  cele- 
bration of  the  Pasch. 

Master,  we  know  that,  etc.  These  words  were  full  of  hypocrisy 
and  dissimulation,  and  our  Lord  knew  it  (verse  18). 

17.  Is  it  lawful  to  give  tribute  to  Caesar?  By  this  question, 
the  Pharisees  sought  to  entrap  our  Lord.  If  He  answered  in  the 
negative.  He  would  displease  the  Herodians  by  appearing  to  oppose 
the  existing  authorities ;  if  in  the  affirmative,  He  would  lose  favor 
with  the  people,  who  hated  the  Romans  and  the  Roman  rule. 

19.  The  coin  of  the  tribute,  a  Roman  denarius,  or  penny,  vary- 
ing in  value  at  different  times,  but  worth  about  17  cents  at  the  time 
of  Christ.  Since  this  coin  was  made  in  Rome,  there  was  stamped 
on  it  the  image  of  the  Emperor. 

21.  Render  therefore  to  Caesar,  etc.  By  this  answer  our  Saviour 
avoids  the  question  as  to  the  lawfulness  of  the  Roman  tribute ;  He 
simply  tells  his  questioners  that  they  should  render  to  Caesar  what- 
ever is  lawfully  his,  —  be  it  money,  honor,  respect,  or  what  not; 
and  that  they  are  likewise  to  give  to  God  whatever  belongs  to  Him. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXII,  22-34  143 

22.  And  hearing  this  they  wondered,  and  leaving  him,  went  their  ways. 

23.  That  day  there  came  to  him  the  Sadducees,  who  say  there  is  no  resur- 
rection ;  and  asked  him, 

24.  Saying:  Master,  Moses  said:  If  a  man  die  having  no  son,  his  brother 
shall  marry  his  wife,  and  raise  up  issue  to  his  brother. 

25.  Now  there  were  with  us  seven  brethren :  and  the  first  having  married 
a  wife,  died;  and  not  having  issue,  left  his  wife  to  his  brother. 

26.  In  like  manner  the  second,  and  the  third,  and  so  on  to  the  seventh. 

27.  And  last  of  all  the  woman  died  also. 

28.  At  the  resurrection  therefore  whose  wife  of  the  seven  shall  she  be?  for 
they  all  had  her. 

29.  And  Jesus  answering,  said  to  them :  You  err,  not  knowing  the  Scrip- 
tures, nor  the  power  of  God. 

30.  For  in  the  resurrection  they  shall  neither  marry  nor  be  married;  but 
shall  be  as  the  angels  of  God  in  heaven. 

31.  And  concerning  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  have  you  not  read  that 
which  was  spoken  by  God,  saying  to  you : 

32.  I  am  the  God  of  Abraham,  and  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob? 
He  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living. 

33.  And  the  multitudes  hearing  it,  were  in  admiration  at  his  doctrine. 

34.  But  the  Pharisees  hearing  that  he  had  silenced  the  Sadducees,  came 
together : 

22.  And  hearing  this,  they  wondered;  i.e.,  they  marveled  at  the 

shrewdness  of  His  reply. 

23.  The  Sadducees.    See  on  iii.  7. 

24.  Moses  said,  in  Deut.  xxv.  5.  According  to  the  Law,  if  a  man 
died  without  issue,  his  brother  should  marry  the  widow,  and  their 
first-born  son  should  be  called  the  son  of  the  deceased  husband. 

25-27.    This  may  be  only  a  fictitious  case ;  but  it  illustrates. 

28.  At  the  resurrection.  The  materialistic  Sadducees  thought 
that  marriage  would,  or  ought  to  exist  in  a  future  life  just  as  in 
this  life ;  and  hence  they  tried  by  an  argumcntum  ad  absurdum  to 
disprove  the  doctrine  of  the  resurrection  and  future  life. 

30.  As  the  angels  of  God.  The  resurrected  body  will  be  an- 
gelic as  regards  its  immortality  and  freedom  from  carnal  tendencies. 

32.  I  am  the  God  of  Abraham,  etc.  Our  Lord  now  shows  that 
the  Sadducees,  in  spite  of  the  fact  that  they  quoted  Moses,  were 
nevertheless  ignorant  of  the  teaching  of  Moses,  as  found  in  Exod. 
(iii.  6).  His  argument  is  as  follows:  God,  not  only  was,  but  is 
still,  the  God  of  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob ;  but  He  is  not  the  God 
of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living;  therefore,  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob 
are  still  living.     By  this  argument.  He  proves  against  the  Saddu- 


144  ST.  MATTHEW  XXII,  35-42 

35.  And  one  of  them,  a  doctor  of  the  law,  asked  him,  tempting  him : 

36.  Master,  which  is  the  great  commandment  in  the  law? 

2,1.  Jesus  said  to  him :  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  thy  whole 
heart,  and  with  thy  whole  soul,  and  with  thy  whole  mind. 

38.  This  is  the  greatest  and  the  first  commandment. 

39.  And  the  second  is  like  to  this :  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself. 

40.  On  these  two  commandments  dependeth  the  whole  law  and  the 
prophets. 

41.  And  the  Pharisees  being  gathered  together,  Jesus  asked  them, 

42.  Saying :  What  think  you  of  Christ?  whose  son  is  he?  They  say  to  him  : 
David's. 

cees  two  things:  (a)  the  existence  of  souls  or  spirits;  (b)  the 
resurrection  of  the  body,  for  the  body  is  the  natural  complement 
of  the  soul,  and  the  whole  man  is  made  up  of  the  two,  body  and 
soul.  Hence,  He  did  not  say,  I  am  the  God  of  Abraham's  soul, 
but  of  Abraham,  the  man,  etc.  Moreover,  our  Lord's  argument  is 
the  more  conclusive  when  we  remember  that  in  antiquity  the  im- 
mortality of  the  soul  and  the  resurrection  of  the  body  were  not  con- 
sidered as  apart,  one  from  the  other.  The  soul  was  not  understood 
as  living  separate  from  the  body,  but  both  were  regarded  as  dead 
or  living  together. 

35.  Doctor  of  the  law;  a  Scribe,  according  to  St.  Mark  (xii.  28). 
Scribes  and  "  lawyers  "  were  the  same,  and  many  of  the  Scribes 
were  Pharisees. 

36.  The  great  commandment;  i.e.,  the  greatest  or  most  impor- 
tant commandment  in  the  Law  of  Moses.  The  Scribes  did  not  all 
agree  as  to  the  relative  importance  of  some  of  the  commandments. 

37.  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord,  thy  God,  etc. ;  quoted  from 
Deut.  vi.  5.  The  meaning  is  that  we  are  to  love  God  as  much  as 
we  can. 

39.  The  second  is  like  to  this ;  i.e.,  the  second  in  importance  and 
dignity.  We  are  bound  to  have  for  our  neighbor  the  same  quality 
of  love,  although  not  the  same  intensity,  which  we  have  for 
ourselves. 

40.  Law  and  the  prophets.  By  "  law  "  is  meant  the  Pentateuch, 
or  five  books  of  Moses ;  by  the  "  prophets  "  the  rest  of  the  Old 
Testament. 

42.  What  think  you  of  Christ?  etc.  Our  Lord  put  this  ques- 
tion to  the  Pharisees  in  order  that  they  might  be  moved  to  recognize 
His  Divinity. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXII,  43-46;  XXIII,  1,  2  145 

43.  He  saith  to  them :  How  then  cloth  David  in  spirit  call  him  Lord,  saying : 

44.  The  Lord  said  to  my  Lord,  Sit  on  my  right  hand,  until  I  make  thy 
enemies  thy  footstool  ? 

45.  If  David  then  call  him  Lord,  how  is  he  his  son? 

46.  And  no  man  was  able  to  answer  him  a  word ;  neither  durst  any  man 
from  that  day  forth  ask  him  any  more  questions. 

43.  David  in  spirit;  i.e.,  under  the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

44.  The  Lord  said  to  my  Lord;  i.e.,  God  the  Father  said  to  God 
the  Son.  The  quotation  is  from  Psalm  cix.  i.  It  is  noticeable  that 
our  Lord  attributes  this  psalm  to  David.  But  if  David  is  the  author 
of  this  Psalm,  he  is  not  the  subject  of  it,  as  Ewald  contends.  The 
subject  of  the  Psalm  is  a  person  who  was  to  be  both  priest  and  king, 
and  since  only  the  Messiah  was  to  enjoy  these  two  dignities,  it  was 
our  Lord  of  whom  David  in  the  Psalm  was  singing. 

45.  How  is  he  his  son.  Our  Lord,  as  man,  was  the  descendant 
of  David ;  as  God,  He  was  the  Lord  of  David. 

46.  From  that  day  forth,  which  was  Tuesday  of  Holy  Week. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

The  Pride  and  Hypocrisy  of  the  Pharisees,  1-12. 
The  Eight  Woes  Against  the  Pharisees,  13-33. 
The  Last  Words  in  the  Temple,  the  Chastise- 
ment OF  Jerusalem,  34-39. 

1.  Then  Jesus  spoke  to  the  multitudes  and  to  his  disciples, 

2.  Saying :  The  scribes  and  the  Pharisees  have  sitten  on  the  chair  of  Moses. 

1.  Having  used  every  means  in  His  power  to  convert  the  Phari- 
sees from  their  blindness,  our  Lord  now  turns  upon  them  in  public 
denunciation  and  indulges  in  a  severity  of  language  such  as  is  not 
found,  at  least  to  the  same  extent,  in  any  other  part  of  the  Gospels. 
In  Mark  (xii.  38-40)  and  in  Luke  (xi.  39-52;  xx.  45-47)  we  have 
only  a  few  verses  expressive  of  the  same  sternness  of  language, 
and  aside  from  these  verses  we  have  no  parallel  to  the  present 
chapter  in  the  Gospels. 

2.  The  chair  of  Moses,  which  represented  the  authority  divinely 


146  ST.  MATTHEW  XXIII,  3-7 

3.  All  things  therefore  whatsoever  they  shall  say  to  you,  observe  and  do : 
but  according  to  their  works  do  ye  not;  for  they  say,  and  do  not. 

4.  For  they  bind  heavy  and  insupportable  burdens,  and  lay  them  on  men's 
shoulders ;  but  with  a  finger  of  their  own  they  will  not  move  them. 

5.  And  all  their  works  they  do  for  to  be  seen  of  men.  For  they  make  their 
phylacteries  broad,  and  enlarge  their  fringes. 

6.  And  they  love  the  first  places  at  feasts,  and  the  first  chairs  in  the 
synagogues, 

7.  And  salutations  in  the  market  place,  and  to  be  called  by  men,  Rabbi. 

committed  to  Moses  to  instruct  the  Jewish  people  in  the  Law  of 
God. 

3.  All  things;  i.e.,  all  things  which  are  in  accordance  with  the 
teachings  of  Moses.  Our  Lord  carefully  distinguished  between  the 
public  authority  of  the  Pharisees,  as  exponents  of  the  Law,  and  their 
private  sins  and  errors.  In  their  ministerial  capacity,  as  expounders 
of  the  Law  of  Moses,  they  were  to  be  obeyed ;  but  as  private  in- 
dividuals, posing  as  models  of  virtue,  they  were  not  to  be  followed. 
The  people  had  the  written  Law  to  guide  them. 

Whether  the  Jewish  Church  possessed  the  gift  of  infallibility  is 
not  certain.  The  private  teachings  of  its  doctors  were  often  errone- 
ous; but  the  teaching  body,  as  such,  seems  never  to  have  erred 
in  faith  until  the  time  when  it  rejected  and  condemned  our  Lord. 
Then,  however,  its  mission  and  office  were  over. 

4.  Insupportable  burdens;  i.e.,  their  own  traditions  and  those 
of  the  ancients,  together  with  the  rigor  with  which  they  enforced 
their  many  ceremonial  precepts. 

5.  To  be  seen  of  men.    See  on  vi.  1-5. 

Phylacteries  {^vkaKT-qpia,  safeguards)  were  strips  or  rolls  of 
parchment,  bound  around  the  head  or  on  the  left  wrist  or  arm 
during  prayer,  and  containing  a  summary  of  the  Law  inscribed  upon 
them. 

Their  fringes  (Num.  xv.  38,  39),  which  were  tassels  hanging 
from  the  four  corners  of  the  cloaks  of  the  Jews,  and  intended  as 
reminders  of  the  obligation  to  keep  the  commandments. 

6.  First  places  .  .  .  first  chairs.  Our  Lord  is  here  condemning 
all  inordinate  desire  for  honor  and  preeminence. 

7.  Rabbi;  i.e..  Master  (John  i.  38).  Again  it  is  the  vain  glory  in 
bearing  these  titles  that  our  Lord  condemns,  not  the  titles  them- 
selves. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXIII,  8-15  147 

8.  But  be  not  you  called  Rabbi.  For  one  is  your  master ;  and  all  you  are 
brethren. 

9.  And  call  none  your  father  upon  earth;  for  one  is  your  father,  who  is  in 
heaven. 

10.  Neither  be  ye  called  masters;  for  one  is  your  master,  Christ. 

11.  He  that  is  the  greatest  among  you  shall  be  your  servant. 

12.  And  whosoever  shall  e.xalt  himself  shall  be  humbled:  and  he  that  shall 
humble  himself  shall  be  exalted. 

13.  But  woe  to  you  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites;  because  you  shut  the 
kingdom  of  heaven  against  men,  for  you  yourselves  do  not  enter  in ;  and  those 
that  are  going  in,  you  suffer  not  to  enter. 

14.  Woe  to  you  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites :  because  you  devour  the 
houses  of  widows,  praying  long  prayers.  For  this  you  shall  receive  the  greater 
judgment. 

15-  VVoe  to  you  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites;  because  vou  go  round 
about  the  sea  and  the  land  to  make  one  proselyte;  and  when  he  is  made,  you 
make  him  the  child  of  hell  twofold  more  than  yourselves. 

8-12.  In  these  verses,  our  Lord  is  again  teaching  lessons  of  hu- 
mihty  and  charity,  and  condemning  every  spirit  that  would  lead  one 
to  feel,  because  of  any  authority  he  may  possess,  that  he  is  more 
pleasmg  in  the  sight  of  God  than  anyone  else,  however  subject  to  him. 

13.  As  in  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  our  Lord  had  pronounced 
eight  beatitudes  for  those  who  should  be  faithful  to  His  teaching, 
so  now  He  utters  eight  "  woes  "  or  curses  against  the  Pharisees 
who  have  transgressed  His  Law. 

Woe  I,  because  you  not  only  refuse  to  enter  the  Kingdom  of  God, 
but  prevent  others  from  entering.  The  Pharisees  were  not  content 
to  reject  Christ  and  His  teaching,  but  they  tried  in  every  way  to 
get  others  to  do  the  same.  They  even  agreed  to  cast  out  of  the 
Synagogue  anyone  who  should  confess  His  name.  They  concealed 
from  the  people,  or  misinterpreted,  the  Messianic  prophecies,  and 
they  blasphemed  Christ's  teaching  and  miracles,  which  were  a 
fulfillment  of  those  prophecies. 

14.  Woe  n,  for  exacting  excessive  fees  from  poor  widows  for 
spiritual  offices  performed  for  them.  The  best  MSS.  have  not  this 
verse.  It  is  thought  to  be  an  interpolation  here  from  Mark  (xii.  40) 
and  Luke  (xx.  47). 

Long  prayers.  Our  Lord  does  not  condemn  long  prayers,  which 
He  Himself  practiced :  but  He  does  condemn  the  hypocrisy  which 
they  were  intended  to  conceal  in  the  case  of  the  Pharisees. ' 

15.  Woe  III,  for  evil  proselytism. 


148  ST.  MATTHEW  XXIII,  16-24 

16.  Woe  to  you  blind  guides,  that  say,  Whosoever  shall  swear  by  the 
temple,  it  is  nothing;  but  he  that  shall  swear  by  the  gold  of  the  temple,  is  a 
debtor, 

17.  Ye  foolish  and  blind;  for  whether  is  greater,  the  gold,  or  the  temple 
that  sanctifieth  the  gold  ? 

18.  And  whosoever  shall  swear  by  the  altar,  it  is  nothing;  but  whosoever 
shall  swear  by  the  gift  that  is  upon  it,  is  a  debtor. 

19.  Ye  blind :  for  whether  is  greater,  the  gift,  or  the  altar  that  sanctifieth 
the  gift? 

20.  He  therefore  that  sweareth  by  the  altar,  sweareth  by  it,  and  by  all 
things  that  are  upon  it : 

21.  And  whosoever  shall  swear  by  the  temple,  sweareth  by  it,  and  by  him 
that  dwelleth  ki  it : 

22.  And  he  that  sweareth  by  heaven,  sweareth  by  the  throne  of  God,  and  by 
him  that  sitteth  thereon. 

23.  Woe  to  you  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites ;  because  you  tithe  mint, 
and  anise,  and  cummin,  and  have  left  the  weightier  things  of  the  law;  judg- 
ment, and  mercy,  and  faith.  These  things  you  ought  to  have  done,  and  not  to 
leave  those  undone. 

24.  Blind  guides,  who  strain  out  a  gnat,  and  swallow  a  camel. 

Proselyte  {irpoaTjXvTos,  a  new-comer ;  adz'ena  in  Latin),  a  Gentile 
convert.  The  zeal  of  the  Pharisees  in  getting-  converts  was  not 
from  a  motive  of  religion,  but  in  order  to  participate  in  the  profits 
coming  from  the  gifts  which  these  converts  would  present  in  the 
Temple. 

Child  of  hell  twofold,  etc.,  because  the  convert  united  to  his 
own  pagan  vices  the  sins  of  his  new  masters. 

16-20.  Woe  IV,  for  their  false  doctrine  about  oaths.  The  Phari- 
sees taught  that  an  oath  taken  in  the  name  of  any  creature  was  not 
binding,  unless  that  creature  was  to  be  ofifered  as  a  gift.  They 
exaggerated  the  sanctity  of  gifts  above  that  of  the  altar  and  the 
Temple,  simply  because  they  shared  in  the  profits  of  the  gifts.  Our 
Lord  here  reprobates  their  avarice,  which  led  them  so  to  destroy 
the  proper  order  of  things ;  and  He  shows  them  that  all  the  holiness 
of  a  gift  comes  from  the  altar  and  the  Temple  consecrated  to  the 
service  of  God. 

23.  Woe  V,  for  insisting  on  trivial  things  and  neglecting  great 
ones. 

You  tithe;  i.e.,  you  pay  or  receive  taxes.  Here  the  meaning  is 
most  likely  to  pay  tithes  or  taxes. 

Mint,  anise,  cummin.  These  were  small  Oriental  herbs,  on 
which  no  tithes,  or  very  small  ones,  were  levied.     The  Pharisees 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXIII,  25-34  149 

25.  Woe  to  you  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites ;  because  you  make  clean 
the  outside  of  the  cup  and  of  the  dish,  but  within  you  are  full  of  rapine  and 
uncleanness. 

26.  Thou  blind  Pharisee,  first  make  clean  the  inside  of  the  cup  and  of  the 
dish,  that  the  outside  may  become  clean. 

27.  Woe  to  you  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites ;  because  you  are  like  to 
whited  sepulchres,  which  outwardly  appear  to  men  beautiful,  but  within  are 
full  of  dead  men's  bones,  and  of  all  filthiness. 

28.  So  you  also  outwardly  indeed  appear  to  men  just ;  but  inwardly  you  are 
full  of  hypocrisy  and  iniquity. 

29.  Woe  to  you  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites ;  that  build  the  sepulchres 
of  the  prophets,  and  adorn  the  monuments  of  the  just, 

30.  And  say :  If  we  had  been  in  the  days  of  our  Fathers,  we  would  not  have 
been  partakers  with  them  in  the  blood  of  the  prophets. 

31.  Wherefore  you  are  witnesses  against  yourselves,  that  you  are  the  sons 
of  them  that  killed  the  prophets. 

22.    Fill  ye  up  then  the  measure  of  your  fathers. 

33.  You  serpents,  generation  of  vipers,  how  will  you  flee  from  the  judg- 
ment of  hell? 

34.  Therefore  behold  I  send  to  you  prophets,  and  wise  men,  and  scribes: 
and  some  of  them  you  will  put  to  death  and  crucify,  and  some  you  will  scourge 
in  your  synagogues,  and  persecute  from  city  to  city : 

were  very  scrupulous  in  their  observance  of  these  trivial  matters, 
while  neglecting  at  the  same  time  to  keep  the  commandments. 

Judgment;  i.e.,  justice. 

25.    Woe  VI,  for  fraud  and  theft. 

You  are  full ;  according  to  the  Greek  ( yknovaiv ) ,  "  they  are 
full  " ;  i.e.,  the  cup  and  the  dish  are  full.  Uncleanness  (d/cpatrias) 
literally  means  here  intemperate  desire  for  riches. 

27.    Woe  VII,  for  appearing  to  be  what  you  are  not. 

Whitened  sepulchres.  To  touch  a  sepulchre  was  to  become  un- 
clean for  seven  days  (Num.  xix.  16)  ;  hence,  to  warn  the  people, 
the  sepulchres  were  white-washed  each  year,  a  month  before  the 
Passover. 

29-31.  Woe  VIII,  for  appearing  to  condemn  the  sins  of  your 
fathers,  who  persecuted  and  put  to  death  the  prophets,  while  you 
yourselves  are  repeating  their  crimes. 

32.  Fill  ye  up  the  measure,  etc.,  which  they  later  did  by  putting 
our  Lord  Himself  to  death. 

33.  Generation  of  vipers,  —  words  before  used  by  our  Lord 
against  the  Pharisees  in  iii.  7 ;  xii.  34. 

34.  Prophets,  and  wise  men,  and  scribes.    These  words  refer  to 


ISO  ST.  MATTHEW  XXIII,  35-37 

35.  That  upon  you  may  come  all  the  just  blood  that  hath  been  shed  upon 
the  earth,  from  the  blood  of  Abel  the  just,  even  unto  the  blood  of  Zacharias 
the  son  of  Barachias,  whom  you  killed  between  the  temple  and  the  altar. 

36.  Amen  I  say  to  you,  all  these  things  shall  come  upon  this  generation. 

37.  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  thou  that  killest  the  prophets,  and  stonest 
them  that  are  sent  unto  thee,  how  often  would  I  have  gathered  together 
thy  children,  as  the  hen  doth  gather  her  chickens  under  her  wings,  and  thou 
wouldest  not? 

what  our  Lord,  as  God,  did  after  His  Ascension,  in  sending  out  the 
Apostles  and  first  teachers  of  Christianity.  St.  Luke  (xi.  49)  speaks 
only  of  Apostles ;  but  the  Apostles  were  "  prophets,"  in  predicting 
future  events;  they  were  "wise  men,"  owing  to  their  supernatural 
knowledge ;  and  they  were  also  "  scribes,"  as  being  expounders 
of  the  law  of  the  Gospel. 

35.  The  Jews  were  to  be  punished  in  a  temporal  way  for  the 
murders  committed  by  their  fathers,  because  temporal  punishment 
descends  to  the  third  and  fourth  generation  upon  those  who  imi- 
tate the  sins  of  their  fathers  (Exod.  xx.  5). 

Zacharias,  son  of  Barachias.  This  Zacharias  was  the  son  of 
Joiada,  the  High  Priest.  He  was  put  to  death  at  the  instigation 
of  King  Joas,  for  recalling  the  people  from  the  worship  of  idols 
(2  Paralip.  xxiv.  20,  21).  Zacharias  is  here  called  "the  son  of 
Barachias,"  most  likely  by  a  mistake  of  some  copyist,  who  added 
this  name,  having  in  mind  Zacharias  the  prophet,  who  was  in  truth 
the  son  of  Barachias.  It  is  possible  that  Joiada  was  also  called 
Barachias,  which  means  "  blessed  of  the  Lord."  Jews  frequently 
had  two  names. 

Between  the  temple  and  the  altar;  i.e.,  in  the  Hall  of  the 
Priests,  which  was  between  the  vestibule  of  the  Holy  Place  and 
the  Altar  of  Holocausts.  Our  Lord's  intention  here  is  to  cite  the 
first  and  the  last  murder  mentioned  in  the  history  of  the  Old  Tes- 
tament, that  of  Abel  (Gen.  iv.  8),  and  that  of  Zacharias  (2  Paralip. 
xxiv.  2Q-2I);  the  books  of  Paralipomenon  occupy  the  last  place 
in  the  Hebrew  Canon. 

36.  These  things  shall  come  upon  this  generation,  —  which 
was  verified  in  the  siege  of  Jerusalem  in  the  year  70. 

37.  How  often.  How  many  warnings  and  exhortations,  through 
His  prophets.  His  Apostles,  and  Himself,  our  Lord  had  sent  in 
vain  to  the  Jewish  people! 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXIII,  38,  39;  XXIV,  1,  2  151 

38.  Behold,  your  house  shall  be  left  to  you,  desolate. 

39.  For  I  say  to  you,  you  shall  not  see  me  henceforth  till  you  say :  Blessed 
is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

38.  Your  house;  i.e..  the  city  of  Jerusalem  and  all  the  land  of 
Jiidea. 

39.  You  shall  not  see  me,  etc.  This  was  the  close  of  our  Lord's 
public  teaching.  The  Jews,  as  a  nation,  were  not  to  see  Him  again, 
until  He  comes  in  judgment  at  the  end  of  the  world.  These  words 
were  spoken  on  Tuesday  evening  of  Holy  Week,  as  He  was  about 
to  leave  the  Temple  for  the  last  time. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

Jesus  Predicts  the  Destruction  of  Jerusalem  and 

Warns  Against  Impostors,  1-14. 
The  Signs  that  shall  Precede  the  Destruction 

OF  Jerusalem,  15-20. 
The  Coming  of  Christ  at  the  End  of  the  World, 

21-35- 
The  Uncertainty  of  the  Hour  of  the  Judgment 

—  Vigilance,  36-44. 
The  Parable  of  the  Two  Servants.  45-51. 

1.  And  Jesus  being  come  out  of  the  temple,  went  away.  And  his  disciples 
came  to  shew  him  the  buildings  of  the  temple. 

2.  And  he  answering,  said  to  them:  Do  you  see  all  these  things?  Amen  I 
say  to  you  there  shall  not  be  left  here  a  stone  upon  a  stone  that  shall  not  be 
destroyed. 

I,  2.  The  Temple  of  Jerusalem  was  one  of  the  most  magnificent 
structures  ever  built.  It  was  begun  by  Herod  the  Great  20  b.c, 
and  finished  forty-six  years  later  (John  ii.  20).  Much  of  the  walls 
was  covered  with  plates  of  gold,  and  the  rest  with  the  purest  of 
white  marble.  The  Temple  was  indeed  the  glory  of  the  Jews,  and 
its  destruction  they  considered  as  an  evil  to  be  equaled  only  by  the 
destruction  of  the  world  itself.  They  thought,  in  fact,  that  the 
destruction  of  the  Temple  and  the  end  of  the  world  would  occur 
together.  Haunted,  therefore,  by  a  sense  of  dread  from  what  our 
Lord  had  been  saying,  some,  or  at  least  one,  of  the  disciples  ( ?^Iark 


152  ST.  MATTHEW  XXIV,  3-5 

3.  And  when  he  was  sitting  on  mount  Olivet,  the  disciples  came  to  him  pri- 
vately, saying:  Tell  us  when  shall  these  things  be?  and  what  shall  be  the  sign 
of  thy  coming,  and  of  the  consummation  of  the  world? 

4.  And  Jesus  answering,  said  to  them  :  Take  heed  that  no  man  seduce  you  : 

5.  For  many  will  come  in  my  name  saying,  I  am  Christ :  and  they  will 
seduce  many. 

xiii.  I )  called  the  Master's  attention  to  the  magnificence  of  the 
structure  before  them,  as  if  to  move  Him  to  spare  it ;  but  He  insists 
only  the  more  on  His  predictions,  which  were  later  verified  by  the 
Romans. 

3,  The  discourses  of  this  and  the  following  chapter,  we  be- 
lieve, were  delivered  to  the  disciples  privately  on  the  Mount  of 
Olives  on  Tuesday  of  the  first  Holy  Week.  There  are  some  com- 
mentators, however,  who  hold  that  these  discourses  were  given  on 
Wednesday. 

The  present  chapter  refers  both  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem 
and  the  end  of  the  world.  As  said  before,  the  Jews  regarded  the 
destruction  of  the  Temple  and  the  end  of  the  world  as  simultaneous 
events,  which  would  be  followed  immediately  by  the  second  coming 
of  Christ.  These  events  were  mixed  together  in  their  minds,  and 
hence  the  answer  to  their  questions  and  the  prophecies  now  uttered 
by  our  Lord  refer  for  the  most  part  to  both.  According  to  St. 
Chrysostom,  up  to  the  tiVenty-third  verse,  the  chapter  deals  exclu- 
sively with  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem ;  but  St.  Jerome,  St.  Augus- 
tine, and  others  hold  that  these  verses  treat  indiscriminately  of  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  the  end  of  the  world.  From  a  careful 
reading  of  the  chapter,  it  would  seem  that,  up  to  the  twentieth  verse, 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  is  chiefly  referred  to,  while  from  the 
twenty-first  verse  on,  the  primary  reference  is  to  the  end  of  the 
world.  Throughout  this  entire  chapter,  however,  we  must  bear  in 
mind  that  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  was  a  type  of  the  final  de- 
struction of  the  world,  and  that,  consequently,  the  things  which  were 
foretold  of  the  former  shall  be  verified,  only  to  a  greater  extent,  in 
the  latter. 

5.  Many  .  .  .  saying,  I  am  Christ.  Many  of  these  impostors 
came  before  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  such  as  Theudas  and 
Judas  of  Galilee  (Acts  v.  36,  37) ;  Simon  Magus  (Acts  viii.  9-1 1)  ; 
the  Egyptian  impostor  (Acts  xxi.  38).  The  same,  to  a  greater 
extent,  will  doubtless  be  true  at  the  end  of  the  world. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXIV,  6-15  153 

6.  And  you  shall  hear  of  wars  and  rumours  of  wars.  See  that  ye  be  not 
troubled.    For  these  things  must  come  to  pass,  but  the  end  is  not  yet. 

7.  For  nation  shall  rise  against  nation,  and  kingdom  against  kingdom ;  and 
there  shall  be  pestilences,  and  famines,  and  earthquakes  in  places : 

8.  Now  all  these  are  the  beginnings  of  sorrows. 

9.  Then  shall  they  deliver  you  up  to  be  afflicted,  and  shall  put  you  to  death : 
and  you  shall  be  hated  by  all  nations  for  my  name's  sake. 

10.  And  then  shall  many  be  scandalized :  and  shall  betray  one  another :  and 
shall  hate  one  another. 

11.  And  many  false  prophets  shall  rise,  and  shall  seduce  many. 

12.  And  because  iniquity  hath  abounded,  the  charity  of  many  shall  grow 
cold. 

13.  But  he  that  shall  persevere  to  the  end,  he  shall  be  saved. 

14.  And  this  gospel  of  the  kingdom,  shall  be  preached  in  the  whole  world, 
for  a  testimony  to  all  nations,  and  then  shall  the  consummation  come. 

15.  When  therefore  you  shall  see  the  abomination  of  desolation,  which  was 
spoken  of  by  Daniel  the  prophet,  standing  in  the  holy  place:  he  that  readeth 
let  him  understand. 

6.  You  shall  hear  of  wars,  etc.  Josephus  tells  us  that  this  was 
literally  verified  before  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem. 

7.  Nation  shall  rise  against  nation,  etc.  This  is  more  or  less 
continuously  true,  but  will  doubtless  be  more  so,  as  the  end  of  the 
world  draws  near. 

8.  The  beginnings  of  sorrows,  although  the  end  may  be  much 
delayed. 

9.  Deliver  you  up  .  .  .  put  you  to  death.  These  things  were 
verified  with  regard  to  the  Apostles  and  early  Christians:  Peter 
and  John,  for  example,  appeared  before  the  Great  Council,  James 
and  Peter  before  Herod,  Paul  before  Nero,  etc. ;  and  they  will 
continue  to  be  verified  with  respect  to  their  successors  to  the  end. 

10.  Many  be  scandalized;  i.e.,  turned  away  from  the  faith. 

11.  False  prophets  shall  arise,  such  as  the  present-day  heretics, 
who  teach  doctrines  different  from  the  doctrine  of  Christ. 

13.  Shall  persevere  to  the  end;  i.e.,  to  the  end  of  life. 

14.  This  verse  refers  both  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and 
the  end  of  the  world,  for  we  know,  from  the  Epistles  of  St.  Paul, 
that  the  Gospel  had  already  been  preached  to  the  greater  part  of  the 
then  known  world  before  Jerusalem  fell ;  but  it  will  reach  to  the 
uttermost  parts  of  the  earth  before  the  final  consummation  comes. 

15.  The  abomination  of  desolation  means  nothing  else  than  the 
besieging  Roman  army  under  Titus,  who  ensnared  the  Holy  City 


154  ST.  MATTHEW  XXIV,  16-26 

16.  Then  they  that  are  in  Judea,  let  them  flee  to  the  mountains : 

17.  And  he  that  is  on  the  housetop,  let  him  not  come  down  to  take  any 
thing  out  of  his  house : 

18.  And  he  that  is  in  the  field,  let  him  not  go  back  to  take  his  coat. 

19.  And  woe  to  them  that  are  with  child,  and  that  give  suck  in  those  days. 

20.  But  pray  that  your  flight  be  not  in  the  winter,  or  on  the  sabbath. 

21.  For  there  shall  be  then  great  tribulation,  such  as  hath  not  been  from 
the  beginning  of  the  world  until  now,  neither  shall  be. 

22.  And  unless  those  days  had  been  shortened,  no  flesh  should  be  saved : 
but  for  the  sake  of  the  elect  those  days  shall  be  shortened. 

23.  Then  if  any  man  shall  say  to  you  :  Lo  here  is  Christ,  or  there,  do  not 
believe  him. 

24.  For  there  shall  arise  false  Christs  and  false  prophets,  and  shall  show 
great  signs  and  wonders,  insomuch  as  to  deceive  (if  possible)  even  the  elect. 

25.  Behold  I  have  told  it  to  you,  beforehand. 

26.  If  therefore  they  shall  say  to  you :  Behold  he  is  in  the  desert,  go  ye  not 
out :  Behold  he  is  in  the  closets,  believe  it  not. 

in  an  iron  network  and  seemed  to  bring  the  altars  of  paganism  to 
the  very  doors  of  the  Temple.  The  prophecy  of  Daniel  (ix.  27) 
here  referred  to,  relates  to  the  end  of  the  world. 

16-18.  These  verses  signify  the  haste  which  should  be  necessary 
in  order  to  escape  the  common  ruin  wrought  in  Jerusalem  by  the 
Romans  in  the  year  70. 

19,  20.  Such  things  as  to  be  with  child,  winter,  etc.,  would  be 
impediments  to  flight.  The  Sabbath  is  mentioned,  because  the  in- 
terpreters of  the  Mosaic  Law  (Exod.  xvi.  29)  restricted  journeys 
made  on  that  day  to  something  under  two  miles.    Cf.  Acts  i.  12. 

21.  From  this  verse  on,  the  reference  seems  to  be  more  to  the 
end  of  the  world ;  and  although  the  tribulations  which  preceded 
the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  were  extreme,  it  would  appear  that 
the  reference  here  is  more  especially  to  the  evils  which  shall  precede 
the  end  of  all  things.  The  definite  ruin  and  captivity  of  Jerusalem 
by  the  Romans  was  doubtless  accompanied  by  the  greatest  tribula- 
tions that  the  Jews  till  then  had  ever  experienced ;  but  even  these 
were  only  a  type  and  figure  of  the  still  more  dreadful  distresses 
that  shall  usher  in  the  end  of  all. 

22.  No  flesh  should  be  saved;  i.e.,  no  man  should  be  saved, 
because  of  the  awful  persecutions  and  multiple  false  signs  that 
shall  precede  the  world's  end. 

23-26.  These  verses  are  a  description  of  some  of  the  trials  which 
the  faithful  shall  suffer  towards  the  end  of  the  world. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXIV,  27-29  155 

27  For  as  lightning  comcth  out  of  the  east,  and  appeareth  even  into  the 
west :  so  shall  also  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  be 

togfthe7^""°'''"  **"'  ^""^^  '^^"  ^''  *^'''  '^^"  *^'  '^^'''  ^''°  ^^  gathered 
29.    And  immediately  after  the  tribulation  of  those  days,  the  sun  shall  be 
darkened  and  the  moon  shall  not  give  her  light,  and  the  stars  shall  fall  from 
heaven,  and  the  powers  of  heaven  shall  be  moved : 

27.  As  lightning  Cometh  out  of  the  east,  etc.  The  meaning  is 
that  the  faithful  are  not  to  be  deceived  by  false  signs  and  false 
Chnsts,  for  the  final  coming  of  the  Saviour  will  be  as  unmistakable 
as  the  lightning  shining  from  the  east  even  to  the  west. 

28.  This  verse  is  a  proverb  quoted  from  Job  (xxxix.  30),  which 
means,  in  the  present  instance,  that  no  one  will  need  to  inquire 
where  the  final  judgment  is  to  be  held,  for  all  men  shall  be  gathered 
there  as  naturally  as  the  eagles  are  drawn  to  the  spot  where  lies 
a  dead  body. 

29.  Immediately  after  the  tribulation  of  those  days,  etc.  The 
words  of  this  verse  are  usually  understood  to  be  prophetic  in  a 
special  sense  of  the  disturbances  that  shall  precede  the  Last  Judg- 
ment. Such  they  doubtless  are.  if  the  verses  immediatelv  before 
are  also  speaking  of  the  end  of  the  world.  But  those  who  take  the 
verses  that  lead  up  to  this  one  as  referring  to  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem  cannot  well  explain  this  passage  as  referring  to  the  end 
of  the  world.  The  word,  c^ea,s,  immediately,  which  opens  the 
verse  unites  the  meaning  of  the  words  that  follow  very  closely  with 
that  of  the  words  in  the  preceding  verses. 

It  seems  more  probable  that  the  predictions  about  the  darkened 
sun  and  moon,  the  stars  falling,  etc.,  should  not  be  taken  in  a  literal 
sense,  but  should  be  regarded  only  as  symbols,  no  more  literally  to 
be  realized  at  the  end  of  the  world  than  now.     Such  descriptions 
are  characteristic  of  prophecies.     Thus  Isaias   (xiii.  gff  )   foretell- 
ing the  woes  that  should  come  upon  Babylon,  and  portraving  the 
awful  judgments  of  Jehovah  upon  the  Edomites  (xxxiv  4)'   speaks 
of  the  darkening  of  the  sun  and  moon,  the  trembling  of  the  heavens 
and  the  earth,  of  the  fading  away  and  the  falling  of  the  hosts  of 
heaven   and    the   celestial    bodies.      Similar    language   is    used   by 
Ezechiel  (xxxii.  7,  8)  when  announcing  the  judgment  of  God  upon 
t^gy-pt,  by  Jeremias  (iv.  23)  in  speaking  of  the  impending  woes  of 
Israel,  and  by  Joel  (ii.  3,  4)  when  threatening  the  enemies  of  Israel 


IS6  ST.  MATTHEW  XXIV,  30-34 

30.  And  then  shall  appear  the  sign  of  the  Son  of  man  in  heaven :  and  then 
shall  all  tribes  of  the  earth  mourn  :  and  they  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  coming 
in  the  clouds  of  heaven  with  much  power  and  majesty. 

31.  And  he  shall  send  his  angels  with  a  trumpet,  and  a  great  voice:  and 
they  shall  gather  together  his  elect  from  the  four  winds,  from  the  farthest 
parts  of  the  heavens  to  the  utmost  bounds  of  them. 

32.  And  from  the  fig  tree  learn  a  parable :  When  the  branch  thereof  is  now 
tender,  and  the  leaves  come  forth,  you  know  that  summer  is  nigh. 

33.  So  you  also,  when  you  shall  see  all  these  things,  know  ye  that  it  is  nigh, 
even  at  the  doors. 

34.  Amen  I  say  to  you,  that  this  generation  shall  not  pass,  till  all  these 
things  be  done. 

30.  The  sign  of  the  Son  of  man;  i.e.,  the  cross  of  Christ,  which 
will  precede  the  second  coming  of  Christ.  This  cross  will  most  likely 
be  but  a  representation  or  image  of  the  real  cross  on  which  our 
Saviour  died.  Those  who  understand  verse  29  to  be  descriptive  of 
events  that  went  before  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  say  that  the 
"  sign  of  the  Son  of  man  "  here  means  nothing  else  than  the  power 
of  Christ  which,  through  the  Apostles  and  their  immediate  succes- 
sors, made  the  solemn  inauguration  of  Christianity  on  a  firm  foun- 
dation coincide  with  the  fall  of  the  Jewish  state. 

All  tribes  shall  mourn;  i.e.,  all  pagans,  infidels,  heretics,  and 
the  like. 

Coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven.  As,  at  the  Ascension,  Christ 
was  taken  up  into  the  clouds,  so  shall  He  be  seen  coming  forth 
from  the  clouds  at  the  end  (Acts  i.  9-1 1). 

31.  With  a  trumpet,  —  literally,  "with  a  trumpet  of  great 
voice,"  which  shall  call  the  dead  to  life  and  bid  them  come  to 
judgment. 

From  the  four  winds;  i.e.,  from  all  points  of  the  compass. 

32.  Learn  a  parable,  etc. ;  i.e.,  an  illustration. 

33.  It  is  nigh,  even  at  the  doors;  i.e.,  the  redemption  of  the  just 
(Luke  xxi.  28). 

34.  This  generation  shall  not  pass  away,  till,  etc.  Some  com- 
mentators understand  "  this  generation "  to  refer  to  the  human 
race,  and  especially  to  the  Jewish  people ;  others  think  it  means  the 
Christian  Church;  still  others,  that  it  designates  the  time  between 
the  first  and  second  comings  of  Christ.  But  it  is  more  in  harmony 
with  the  context  to  take  the  expression  in  its  literal  sense,  as  re- 
ferring to  the  people  then  living.    Hence  "  all  these  things  "  can  be 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXIV,  35-41  157 

2S.    Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass,  but  my  words  shall  not  pass. 

36.  But  of  that  day  and  hour  no  one  knoweth,  no  not  the  angels  of  heaven, 
but  the  Father  alone. 

2J.  And  as  in  the  days  of  Noe,  so  shall  also  the  coming  of  the  Son  of 
man  be. 

38.  For  as  in  the  days  before  the  flood,  they  were  eating  and  drinking, 
marrying  and  giving  in  marriage,  even  till  that  day  in  which  Noe  entered  into 
the  ark, 

39.  And  they  knew  not  till  the  flood  came,  and  took  them  all  away ;  so  also 
shall  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  be. 

40.  Then  two  shall  be  in  the  field :  one  shall  be  taken,  and  one  shall  be  left. 

41.  Two  women  shall  be  grinding  at  the  mill :  one  shall  be  taken,  and  one 
shall  be  left. 

explained  as  referring  literally  to  the  events  that  preceded  the 
destruction  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  solid  establishment  of  the  Mes- 
sianic reign,  and,  typically,  to  those  that  shall  go  before  the  end  of 
the  world.  Most  of  the  difficulties  of  this  present  chapter  will 
disappear  if  we  remember:  (a)  that,  to  the  Jewish  mind,  the  de- 
struction of  Jerusalem  and  the  end  of  the  world  were  to  be  coeval ; 
and  that,  consequently,  our  Lord's  words  and  answers  to  the  Apos- 
tles were  uttered  conformably  to  the  ideas  and  questions  of  the 
latter;  (b)  that  this  whole  discourse  has  been  incompletely  given 
by  the  Evangelists,  and  without  much  attention  to  order. 

35.  Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away;  i.e.,  it  is  easier  for  this 
to  happen  than  for  the  words  of  Christ"  to  go  unfulfilled.  Cf. 
Luke  xvi.  17. 

36.  From  this  verse  it  would  seem  that  no  creature,  not  even  the 
Son  of  God  (Mark  xiii.  32),  knows  the  exact  moment  or  hour  of 
Christ's  second  coming  and  the  destruction  of  the  world.  Because 
of  the  intimate  union  of  the  divine  and  human  natures  in  Christ, 
however,  our  Saviour,  as  God,  and  even  as  man,  did  indeed  know 
the  hour  and  the  day  when  all  things  would  end  (xi.  27;  Col.  ii,  3)  ; 
but  the  meaning  here  is  that  He  did  not  know  these  things  in  such 
a  way  that  He  could  communicate  them  to  men. 

37-39.  Just  as  before  the  Deluge,  the  sinful  and  faithless  were 
unmoved  by  the  warnings  of  Noe,  so  in  the  last  days  they  shall 
fail  to  profit  by  the  tribulations  of  those  times,  and  shall  thus  be 
taken  unawares. 

40,41.  One  taken  .  .  .  one  left;  i.e.,  one  shall  be  saved,  the 
other  left  to  condemnation. 


158  ST.  MATTHEW  XXIV,  42-51 

42.  Watch  ye  therefore,  because  you  know  not  what  hour  your  Lord  will 
come. 

43.  But  this  know  ye,  that  if  the  goodman  of  the  house  knew  at  what  hour 
the  thief  would  come,  he  would  certainly  watch,  and  would  not  suffer  his 
house  to  be  broken  open. 

44.  Wherefore  be  you  also  ready,  because  at  what  hour  you  know  not  the 
Son  of  man  will  come. 

45.  Who,  thinkest  thou,  is  a  faithful  and  wise  servant,  whom  his  lord  hath 
appointed  over  his  family,  to  give  them  meat  in  season. 

46.  Blessed  is  that  servant,  whom  when  his  lord  shall  come  he  shall  find  so 
doing. 

47.  Amen  I  say  to  you,  he  shall  place  him  over  all  his  goods. 

48.  But  if  that  evil  servant  shall  say  in  his  heart :  My  lord  is  long  a  coming : 

49.  And  shall  begin  to  strike  his  fellow  servants,  and  shall  eat  and  drink 
with  drunkards : 

50.  The  lord  of  that  servant  shall  come  in  a  day  that  he  hopeth  not,  and  at 
an  hour  that  he  knoweth  not : 

51.  And  shall  separate  him,  and  appoint  his  portion  with  the  hypocrites. 
There  shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth. 

Two  women  grinding,  etc.,  as  they  are  accustomed  to  do  in  the 
East;  one  shall  be  taken  up  with  Christ  into  the  clouds  (i  Thes. 
iv.  16)  ;  the  other  left  to  her  reprobation  (2  Thes.  i.  7-9).  Some 
commentators  think  that  these  separations  shall  immediately  pre- 
cede the  "  tribulations  of  those  days,"  rather  than  the  coming  of  the 
Judge,  since  it  is  probable  that  none  shall  be  alive  at  the  day  of 
judgment;  or  if  some  should  still  be  living,  they  shall  be  so  withered 
with  fear  as  to  make  it  impossible  that  they  should  be  then  going 
about  their  ordinary  duties. 

42.  Watch  ye  therefore,  etc.  We  are  bidden  to  watch  always, 
for  we  know  neither  the  hour  of  Christ's  general  coming  to  judge 
the  world,  nor  of  His  particular  coming  at  the  hour  of  our  own 
death. 

45-51.  This  Parable  of  the  Two  Servants  is  found  in  Luke 
(xii.  42-46)  ;  it  perhaps  belongs  to  an  earlier  date  in  our  Lord's 
ministry,  and  is  added  here  by  St.  Matthew,  to  illustrate  the  question 
in  hand. 

Whom  his  lord  hath  appointed.  These  words  refer  chiefly  to 
the  Apostles  and  their  successors,  and  to  all  who  have  charge  over 
others. 

Shall  separate  him.  In  the  Greek  (dixoTonrjan,),  "shall  cut  him 
in  two,"  as  a  punishment  for  his  negligence. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXV,  1,  2  159 


CHAPTER  XXV 

The  Parable  of  the  Ten  Virgins,  1-13. 
The  Parable  of  the  Talents,  14-30. 
•  The  Last  Judgment,  31-46. 

1.  Then  shall  the  kingdom  of  heaven  be  like  to  ten  virgins,  who  taking  their 
lamps  went  out  to  meet  the  bridegroom  and  the  bride. 

2.  And  five  of  them  were  foolish,  and  five  wise. 

I.  This  Parable  of  the  Ten  Virgins  (verses  1-13)  is  peculiar  to 
St.  Matthew. 

Then;  i.e.,  in  the  Day  of  Judgment,  at  the  second  coming  of 
Christ. 

The  kingdom  of  heaven  means  the  Church  mihtant ;  the  ten 
virgins  represent  all  the  faithful.  The  number  "  ten  "  is  not  acci- 
dental, because  it  took  just  so  many  to  make  a  company  among  the 
Jews.  The  virginity  here  attributed  to  them  means  purity  of  faith, 
absence  of  spiritual  fornication  through  corruption  of  doctrine. 

Taking  their  lamps.  Marriages,  in  the  East,  were,  and  are  still, 
always  celebrated  at  night. 

Went  out  to  meet  the  bridegroom.  The  bridal  procession  among 
the  Jews  was  as  follows:  the  bridegroom,  accompanied  by  his 
friends,  went  to  the  home  of  the  bride  to  lead  her,  with  joy  and 
gladness  (i  Mach.  ix.  37-39),  to  his  own  house;  or,  if  that  was  too 
small,  to  some  apartment  large  enough  to  accommodate  the  wed- 
ding party.  The  bride  was  accompanied  from  her  father's  house 
by  her  youthful  friends  and  companions  (Ps.  xliv.  15),  and  others, 
here  called  "  virgins,"  joined  the  procession  along  the  way,  to  enter 
with  the  rest  of  the  company  the  hall  of  feasting  (Cant.  iii.  4). 
Bridegroom  means  Christ,  who  will  come  at  the  end  of  the 
world  to  take  the  Church,  His  Bride,  to  Himself  (Trench). 

And  the  bride.  These  words  are  not  found  in  the  best  MSS.  and 
should  be  omitted  here. 

2.  Five  foolish  .  .  .  five  wise.  All  were  virgins,  because  all  had 
the  true  faith,  but  the  difference  between  them  was  that  the  faith 
of  the  foolish  virgins,  being  without  good  works,  was  dead. 


i6o  ST.  MATTHEW  XXV,  3-13 

3.  But  the  five  foolish,  having  taken  their  lamps,  did  not  take  oil  with 
them: 

4.  But  the  wise  took  oil  in  their  vessels  with  the  lamps. 

5.  And  the  bridegroom  tarrying,  they  all  slumbered  and  slept. 

6.  And  at  midnight  there  was  a  cry  made :  Behold  the  bridegroom  cometh, 
go  ye  forth  to  meet  him. 

7.  Then  all  those  virgins  arose  and  trimmed  their  lamps. 

8.  And  the  foolish  said  to  the  wise :  Give  us  of  your  oil,  for  our  lamps  are 
gone  out. 

9.  The  wise  answered,  saying :  Lest  perhaps  there  be  not  enough  for  us  and 
for  you,  go  ye  rather  to  them  that  sell,  and  buy  for  yourselves. 

10.  Now  whilst  they  went  to  buy,  the  bridegroom  came :  and  they  that  were 
ready,  went  in  with  him  to  the  marriage,  and  the  door  was  shut. 

11.  But  at  last  came  also  the  other  virgins,  saying:  Lord,  Lord,  open  to  us. 

12.  But  he  answering  said :  Amen  I  say  to  you,  I  know  you  not. 

13.  Watch  ye  therefore,  because  you  know  not  the  day  nor  the  hour. 

3.  Lamps  .  .  .  oil.  The  lamps  represent  faith;  oil,  good 
works. 

5.  The  bridegroom  tarrying  represents  the  delay  in  Christ's 
second  coming.  Our  Lord  never  gave  any  hint  as  to  the  exact  time 
when  He  should  come.  We  know  neither  the  day  of  our  own  death, 
nor  that  of  the  end  of  the  world.  Hence  it  behooves  us  ever  to 
watch. 

Slumbered;  i.e.,  ceased  to  look  for  His  coming;  not  that  all  had 
sinned,  or  were  unprepared. 

6.  At  midnight  means  at  the  most  unexpected  time  (Luke  xii. 
40;    I  Thes.  V.  2). 

A  cry  refers  to  the  voice  of  the  last  trumpet  ( i  Thes.  iv.  15). 

8.  Give  us  of  your  oil,  —  words  which  signify  the  miserable 
plight  of  those  who,  at  the  last,  shall  find  themselves  in  the  presence 
of  the  Judge  without  good  works,  with  no  fruits  of  faith. 

9.  This  answer  of  the  wise  virgins  does  not  imply  a  lack  of 
charity ;  they  only  wished  to  express  their  inability  to  supply  what 
God  alone  can  give. 

10.  Went  in  with  him  to  the  marriage,  which  represents  the 
reception  of  the  Elect  into  the  abode  of  the  Blessed. 

11.  Lord,  Lord,  open  to  us.  Not  that  they  had  obtained  oil, 
or  enriched  meanwhile  their  faith  by  works;  they  wished  only  to 
entreat  for  mercy.  The  Judge  answers  them  (verse  12)  that  it  is  too 
late,  the  time  for  work  and  merit  is  over  forever. 

13,  Watch  ye  therefore.    The  whole  purpose  of  the  parable  is 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXV,  14,  15  i6l 

14.  For  even  as  a  man  going  into  a  far  country,  called  his  servants,  and  de- 
livered to  them  his  goods; 

15.  And  to  one  he  gave  five  talents,  and  to  another  two,  and  to  another  one, 
to  every  one  according  to  his  proper  abihty :  and  immediately  he  took  his 
journey. 

to  teach  us  vigilance  and  preparation  against  the  coming  of  Christ, 
whether  at  the  end  of  the  world,  or  at  our  own  death. 

14.  The  Parable  of  the  Talents  (verses  14-30)  is  also  peculiar  to 
St.  Matthew.  This  parable,  like  the  preceding  one,  was  intended 
to  teach  us  vigilance  and  faithfulness  in  the  performance  of  our 
duties.  A  brief  account  of  the  parable  of  the  talents  with  important 
variations  and  recollections  of  the  Ten  Virgins  is  found  in  Mark 
(xiii.  34-36).  A  similar  parable,  that  of  the  "  Pounds,"  is  in  Luke 
(xix.  11-27).  Although  they  have  the  same  object  and  purpose, 
the  Parables  of  the  Talents  and  of  the  Pounds  are  not  the  same ;  — 
that  of  the  Talents  was  spoken  on  the  Mount  of  Olives,  Tuesday  of 
Holy  Week,  while  that  of  the  Pounds  was  uttered  when  our 
Saviour  was  drawing  near  to,  but  had  not  yet  entered,  Jeru- 
salem; the  former  was  addressed  only  to  the  disciples,  the  latter 
to  the  multitude ;  in  the  former  a  different  amount  of  money  is 
given  to  different  persons,  in  the  latter  the  same  amount  is  given 
to  all. 

A  man  going  into  a  far  country  refers  to  our  Lord  Himself, 
who  is  about  to  return  to  His  heavenly  Father. 

His  servants.  Servants  in  antiquity  were  often  artisans  to  whom 
was  committed  by  their  masters  a  certain  amount  of  money  to  be 
used  in  trading,  the  profits  of  which  money  were  to  be  shared  with 
the  master.  Here,  the  servants  are  primarily  the  Apostles,  and 
secondarily  all  Christians. 

His  goods  refers  to  the  natural  endowments,  and  especially  to 
the  spiritual  gifts  which  Almighty  God  bestows  upon  His  servants, 
all  of  which  gifts  and  endowments  are  to  be  employed  in  His 
service. 

15.  Five  talents.  The  value  of  the  Jewish  talent  was  about 
$1920.00. 

According  to  his  proper  ability.  The  difference  in  the  number 
of  talents  given  may  only  indicate  the  freedom  with  which  God 
bestows  His  gifts ;  but  it  likely  shows  also  that  the  gifts  of  grace 


i62  ST.  MATTHEW  XXV,  16-25 

i6.  And  he  that  had  received  the  five  talents,  went  his  way,  and  traded 
with  the  same,  and  gained  other  five. 

17.  And  in  hke  manner  he  that  had  received  the  two,  gained  other  two. 

18.  But  he  that  had  received  the  one,  going  his  way  digged  into  the  earth, 
and  hid  his  lord's  money. 

19.  But  after  a  long  time  the  lord  of  those  servants  came,  and  reckoned 
with  them. 

20.  And  he  that  had  received  the  five  talents  coming,  brought  other  five  tal- 
ents, saying :  Lord,  thou  didst  deliver  to  me  five  talents,  behold  I  have  gained 
other  five  over  and  above. 

21.  His  lord  said  to  him:  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant,  because 
thou  hast  been  faithful  over  a  few  things,  I  will  place  thee  over  many  things : 
enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  lord. 

22.  And  he  also  that  had  received  the  two  talents  came  and  said :  Lord, 
thou  deliveredst  two  talents  to  me :  behold  I  have  gained  other  two. 

23.  His  lord  said  to  him :  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servant :  because 
thou  hast  been  faithful  over  a  few  things,  I  will  place  thee  over  many  things : 
enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  lord. 

24.  But  he  that  had  received  the  one  talent,  came  and  said :  Lord,  I  know 
that  thou  art  a  hard  man ;  thou  reapest  where  thou  hast  not  sown,  and  gather- 
est  where  thou  hast  not  strewed. 

25.  And  being  afraid  I  went  and  hid  thy  talent  in  the  earth  :  behold  here 
thou  hast  that  which  is  thine. 

are  not  infrequently  bestowed  in  accordance  with  one's  natural 
capacity.  Natural  gifts  are  often  a  disposition  for  supernatural 
ones. 

16.  And  gained  other  five.  This  indicates  the  increase  in  grace, 
and  consequently  in  glory,  which  follows  the  faithful  and  diligent 
use  of  what  has  been  given. 

18.  Hid  his  Lord's  money;  i.e.,  failed  to  make  use  of  his  talents, 
became  a  truly  "  unprofitable  servant." 

19.  After  a  long  time,  refers  to  the  period  between  the  Ascension 
and  the  second  coming  of  Christ,  and  also  to  the  period  of  each 
man's  life,  because  the  General  Judgment  at  the  end  of  the  world 
will  be  but  a  public  ratification  of  the  sentence  passed  on  each  one 
at  the  hour  of  his  death. 

20-23.  Well  done,  etc.  Both  servants  received  the  same  pay 
and  the  same  reward,  which  is  a  proof  that  Almighty  God  does  not 
so  much  regard  the  number  of  our  gifts  and  the  amount  of  our 
work,  as  the  dispositions  and  fidelity  with  which  we  work. 

24.  A  hard  man;  i.e.,  a  man  of  severe  and  unmerciful  disposition. 

Thou  reapest  where  thou  hast  not  sown,  —  an  adage  expressing 
cruelty  and  severity. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXV,  26-34  163 

26.  And  his  lord  answering,  said  to  him  :  Wicked  and  slothful  servant,  thou 
knewest  that  I  reap  where  I  sow  not,  and  gather  where  I  have  not  strewed : 

2"/.  Thou  oughtest  therefore  to  have  committed  my  money  to  the  bankers, 
and  at  my  coming  1  should  have  received  my  own  with  usury. 

28.  Take  ye  away  therefore  the  talent  from  him,  and  give  it  him  that  hath 
ten  talents. 

29.  For  to  every  one  that  hath  shall  be  given,  and  he  shall  abound :  but 
from  him  that  hath  not,  that  also  which  he  seemeth  to  have  shall  be  taken 
away. 

30.  And  the  unprofitable  servant  cast  ye  out  into  the  exterior  darkness. 
There  shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth. 

31.  And  when  the  Son  of  man  shall  come  in  his  majesty,  and  all  the  angels 
with  him,  then  shall  he  sit  upon  the  seat  of  his  majesty : 

32.  And  all  nations  shall  be  gathered  together  before  him,  and  he  shall  sep- 
arate them  one  from  another,  as  the  shepherd  separateth  the  sheep  from  the 
goats : 

Zi-    And  he  shall  set  the  sheep  on  his  right  hand,  but  the  goats  on  his  left. 

34.  Then  shall  the  king  say  to  them  that  shall  be  on  his  right  hand :  Come, 
ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  possess  you  the  kingdom  prepared  for  you  from  the 
foundation  of  the  world. 

26.  Wicked  servant;  in  excusing  his  sloth  by  calumniating  his 
master.     Then  our  Lord  turns  his  reasons  back  upon  hiin. 

28,  29.  The  first  punishment  the  wicked  servant  received  is  the 
forfeiture  of  his  talent. 

To  everyone  that  hath,  etc. ;  i.e.,  everyone  who  makes  a  good 
use  of  the  graces  given  him  shall  receive  more,  while  he  who  has 
failed  to  make  use  of  his  gifts  and  graces  shall  be  forced  to  forfeit 
all  that  has  been  given  him. 

That  which  he  seemeth  to  have.  The  word  "  seemeth  "  is  not 
in  the  Greek,  which  gives  6  exei,  isjhat  he  hath. 

30.  Exterior  darkness  represents  the  eternal  punishment  in  store 
for  the  unprofitable  servant. 

31.  This  verse  shows  the  difference  between  Christ's  first  coming, 
in  humility  and  weakness,  and  His  second,  in  majesty  and  power. 

32.  All  nations  .  .  .  before  him.  It  is  generally  believed  that 
even  infants  who  die  without  Baptism  shall  appear  at  the  General 
Judgment ;  what  their  judgment  will  be,  however,  is  not  known. 
Their  lot,  according  to  the  common  opinion,  will  be  the  greatest 
natural  happiness  (St.  Th.,  ii.  Sent.,  dist.  33,  qu.  2,  a.  2  ad  5). 

Sheep  .  .  .  goats,  —  types  of  the  Elect  and  the  reprobates. 
34.  Kingdom  prepared.    This  shows  that  the  predestination  of 
the  Elect  is  from  all  eternity  (Eph.  i.  4;  i  Pet.  i.  20). 


l64  ST.  MATTHEW  XXV,  35-46 

35.  For  I  was  hungry,  and  you  gave  me  to  eat ;  I  was  thirsty,  and  you  gave 
me  to  drink ;  I  was  a  stranger,  and  you  took  me  in : 

36.  Naked,  and  you  covered  me :  sick,  and  you  visited  me :  I  was  in  prison, 
and  you  came  to  me. 

ZT-  Then  shall  the  just  answer  him,  saying :  Lord,  when  did  we  see  thee 
hungry,  and  fed  thee;  thirsty,  and  gave  thee  drink? 

38.  And  when  did  we  see  thee  a  stranger,  and  took  thee  in?  or  naked,  and 
covered  thee? 

39.  Or  when  did  we  see  thee  sick  or  in  prison,  and  came  to  thee? 

40.  And  the  king  answering,  shall  say  to  them :  Amen  I  say  to  you,  as  long 
as  you  did  it  to  one  of  these  my  least  brethren,  you  did  it  to  me. 

41.  Then  he  shall  say  to  them  also  that  shall  be  on  his  left  hand :  Depart 
from  me,  you  cursed,  into  everlasting  fire  which  was  prepared  for  the  devil 
and  his  angels. 

42.  For  I  was  hungry,  and  you  gave  me  not  to  eat:  I  was  thirsty,  and  you 
gave  me  not  to  drink. 

43.  I  was  a  stranger,  and  you  took  me  not  in :  naked,  and  you  covered  me 
not :  sick  and  in  prison,  and  you  did  not  visit  me. 

44.  Then  they  also  shall  answer  him,  saying :  Lord,  when  did  we  see  thee 
hungry,  or  thirsty,  or  a  stranger,  or  naked,  or  sick,  or  in  prison,  and  did  not 
minister  to  thee? 

45.  Then  he  shall  answer  them,  saying :  Amen  I  say  to  you,  as  long  as  you 
did  it  not  to  one  of  these  least,  neither  did  you  do  it  to  me. 

46.  And  these  shall  go  into  everlasting  punishment:  but  the  just,  into  life 
everlasting. 

35,  36.  In  these  verses  are  enumerated  six  of  the  corporal  v^^orks 
of  mercy;  the  seventh,  the  burying  of  the  dead,  is  in  Tobias  (xii. 
12).  Mercy  is  here  commended  because  it  is  one  of  the  highest 
virtues  and  presupposes  faith  and  charity ;  and,  only  corporal  works 
of  mercy  are  spoken  of,  because  they  appeal  more  to  the  ordinary 
individual,  than  do  the  spiritual  works  of  mercy.  The  latter,  how- 
ever, are  by  no  means  excluded  from  this  general  commendation. 

40.  My  least  brethren;  i.e.,  any  faithful  Christian,  however 
insignificant  otherwise. 

41.  Depart  from  me,  words  which  signify  the  pain  of  loss;  into 
everlasting  fire  signifies  the  pain  of  sense  of  the  damned. 

42-45.  The  reprobate  are  here  condemned  for  sins  of  omis- 
sion, not  because  such  sins  are  greater  than  those  of  commission, 
but  to  show  the  importance  of  the  virtue  of  mercy. 

46.  Everlasting  punishment  .  .  .  everlasting  life.  The  Greek 
word,  aldiPLov,  everlasting,  modifying  alike  the  punishment  of  the 
wicked  and  the  life  of  the  just,  shows  that  the  states  of  both  are 
equal  in  duration. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXVI,  1,  2  165 


CHAPTER  XXVI 

The  Conspiracy  of  the  Sanhedrim,  1-5. 

The  Supper  at  Bethany,  6-13. 

The  Treason  of  Judas,  14-16. 

The  Preparation  for  the  Last  Supper,  17-19. 

The  Designation  of  the  Traitor,  20-25. 

The  Institution  of  the  Holy  Eucharist,  26-29. 

Jesus  Foretells  the  Desertion  of  His  Disciples, 

30-35- 
Jesus  in  the  Garden  of  Gethsemani,  36-46. 
The  Betrayal  and  Arrest  of  Jesus,  47-56. 
Jesus  Before  the  Sanhedrim,  57-68. 
The  Triple  Denial  of  Peter,  69-75. 

1.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Jesus  had  ended  all  these  words,  he  said  to  his 
disciples : 

2.  You  know  that  after  two  days  shall  be  the  pasch,  and  the  Son  of  man 
shall  be  delivered  up  to  be  crucified  : 

1.  All  these  words;  i.e.,  the  discourse  about  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem  and  the  end  of  the  world,  the  Parables  of  the  Virgins  and 
the  Talents,  which  He  had  been  delivering  to  His  disciples  on  the 
western  slope  of  the  Mount  of  Olives.  Jesus  now  full  of  sorrow 
and  sadness,  wends  His  way  eastward  over  the  Mount  to  Bethany. 

2.  After  two  days.  According  to  what  we  said  above  (xxiv.  3) 
we  should  now  say  that  these  words  were  uttered  on  Tuesday 
evening,  and  consequently  that  the  "  two  days "  here  spoken  of 
were  Wednesday  and  Thursday,  or  from  Tuesday  evening  to 
Thursday  evening. 

The  Pasch.  Pasch  is  a  Hebrew  word  (pesach)  meaning  Pass- 
over. It  was  the  feast  which  commemorated  the  passing  over 
Egypt  of  the  angel  that  destroyed  the  first  born  of  the  Egyptians 
and  spared  the  Hebrew  children.  The  Pasch  was  the  most  im- 
portant of  the  Jewish  festivals  and  lasted  for  eight  days,  beginning 
about  sunset  on  the  14th  of  Nisan  (Deut.  xvi.  6)  and  ending  at  sun- 
set on  the  2 1st  of  Nisan,  the  first  month  of  the  Jewish  sacred  year. 


i66  ST.  MATTHEW  XXVI,. 3-7 

3.  Then  were  gathered  together  the  chief  priests  and  ancients  of  the  people 
into  the  court  of  the  high  priest,  who  was  called  Caiphas : 

4.  And  they  consulted  together,  that  by  subtilty  they  might  apprehend 
Jesus,  and  put  him  to  death. 

5.  But  they  said :  Not  on  the  festival  day,  lest  perhaps  there  should  be  a 
tumult  among  the  people. 

6.  And  when  Jesus  was  in  Bethania,  in  the  house  of  Simon  the  leper, 

7.  There  came  to  him  a  woman  having  an  alabaster  box  of  precious  oint- 
ment, and  poured  it  on  his  head  as  he  was  at  table. 

The  other  great  feasts  among  the  Jews  were  those  of  Pentecost  and 
Tabernacles.  The  former  was  celebrated  just  fifty  days  after  the 
Pasch  and  lasted  for  only  one  day,  marking  the  completion  of 
the  harvest  (Exod.  xxiii.  16;  Deut.  xvi.  9),  and  commemorated  the 
giving  of  the  Law  by  Moses;  the  latter  was  observed  from  the 
evening  of  the  14th  till  that  of  the  22nd  of  Tisri,  the  seventh  month 
of  the  sacred  year  and  celebrated  the  ingathering  of  all  fruits 
(Exod.  xxxiv.  22;  Levit,  xxiii.  34-43). 

3.  Then,  which,  according  to  ancient  tradition,  was  Wednesday 
around  nightfall,  although  it  might  have  been  in  the  morning. 

Chief  priests  and  ancients;  i.e.,  members  of  the  Great  Council, 
the  Sanhedrim,  who  assembled  in  the  interior  court-yard  (ets  tj)v 
avXijv),  or  palace  itself  of  the  High  Priest. 

5.  The  festival  day  may  refer  to  any  day  within  the  octave  of 
the  Paschal  feast,  but  here  it  most  probably  means  the  Pasch  itself. 
Many  thousands  of  Jews  came  to  Jerusalem  for  the  Paschal  cele- 
bration, and  many  among  these,  especially  from  Galilee,  were  favor- 
ably disposed  toward  Jesus ;  hence  the  authorities  feared  a  "  tumult 
among  the  people." 

6.  When  Jesus  was  in  Bethania.  St.  John  (xii.  i,  2)  tells  us 
that  this  was  six  days  before  the  Pasch,  and  therefore  it  must  have 
been  on  Saturday,  the  8th  of  Nisan.  Matthew  and  Mark  make 
mention  of  this  event  to  explain  the  action  of  Judas  in  going  to 
the  High-Priests  (verse  14). 

Simon  the  leper.  Many  identify  this  Simon  with  the  Simon 
mentioned  by  St.  Luke  (vii.  40).  He  was  called  "the  leper"  very 
probably  because  he  had  been  cured  of  the  disease  of  leprosy. 
Lazarus  was  a  guest  at  this  supper  given  by  Simon,  and  Martha 
served  at  it  (John  xii.  2). 

7.  A  woman,  who  was  Mary,  the  sister  of  Lazarus  and  Martha 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXVT,  8-17  167 

8.  And  the  disciples  seeing  it,  had  indignation,  saying:  To  what  purpose  is 
this  waste? 

9.  For  this  might  have  been  sold  for  much,  and  given  to  the  poor. 

10.  And  Jesus  knowing  it,  said  to  them:  Why  do  you  trouble  this  woman? 
for  she  hath  wrought  a  good  work  upon  me. 

11.  For  the  poor  you  have  always  with  you:  but  me  you  have  not  always. 

12.  For  she  in  pouring  this  ointment  upon  my  body,  hath  done  it  for  my 
burial. 

13.  Amen  I  say  to  you,  wheresoever  this  gospel  shall  be  preached  in 
the  whole  world,  that  also  which  she  hath  done,  shall  be  told  for  a  memory 
of  her. 

14.  Then  went  one  of  the  twelve,  who  was  called  Judas  Iscariot,  to  the 
chief  priests, 

15.  And  said  to  them  :  What  will  you  give  me,  and  I  will  deliver  him  unto 
you?    But  they  appointed  him  thirty  pieces  of  silver. 

16.  And  from  thenceforth  he  sought  opportunity  to  betray  him. 

17.  And  on  the  first  day  of  the  Azymes,  the  disciples  came  to  Jesus,  saying: 
Where  wilt  thou  that  we  prepare  for  thee  to  eat  the  pasch? 

(John  xii.  3).  It  was  customary  among  the  ancients  for  a  host  to 
honor  his  guests  by  pouring  a  sweet  scented  oil  on  their  heads 
during  the  repast.  This  office  Mary  discharged  for  our  Lord  at  the 
supper  in  Bethany.  "  The  precious  ointment  "  was  a  perfume  of 
very  pleasant  odor  obtained  from  an  Indian  plant  (Nardostachys 
Jatamansi). 

8.  The  disciples  .  .  .  had  indignation;  i.e.,  one  of  the  disciples, 
Judas  Iscariot  (John  xii.  4). 

11.  But  me  you  have  not  always;  i.e.,  the  poor  shall  never  cease 
to  be  visibly  present  in  the  land  (Deut.  xv.  11),  but  the  visible 
presence  of  our  Lord  on  the  earth  was  only  for  a  time. 

12.  For  my  burial;  i.e.,  in  anticipation  of  His  burial.  The  Jews 
were  accustomed  to  anoint  the  bodies  of  their  dead  out  of  affection 
for  them,  as  well  as  to  preserve  the  bodies  from  corruption. 

14.  To  the  chief  priests;  i.e.,  to  the  members  of  the  Sanhedrim, 
mentioned  above  (verse  3). 

15.  Thirty  pieces  of  silver,  equal  to  about  $15.30;  it  was  the 
price  of  a  slave  among  the  Jews  (Exod.  xxi.  32). 

16.  From  thenceforth ;  i.e.,  from  the  time  of  his  compact  with 
the  members  of  the  Sanhedrim. 

17.  On  the  first  day  of  Azymes;  i.e..  of  unleavened  bread 
{aXvua,  unleavened),  from  the  sunset  of  the'  14th  of  Nisan  to  sun- 
set of  the  15th  of  Nisan.    Legally  all  leaven  had  to  be  out  of  Jewish 


i68  ST.  MATTHEW  XXVI,  17 

houses  by  noon  of  the  14th  of  Nisan.  To  make  sure  of  this  the 
clearing  of  the  houses  of  leaven  commenced  the  evening  before,  i.e., 
on  the  13th  of  Nisan.  Hence  the  words,  "  first  day  of  Azymes," 
could  be  taken  to  mean  the  13th  of  Nisan. 

All  four  Gospels  agree  that  our  Lord  ate  the  Last  Supper  on 
Thursday  evening,  and  that  He  was  put  to  death  on  Friday.  Cf. 
Matthew  xxvii.  62;  Mark  xv.  42;  Luke  xxiii.  54;  John  xix.  31. 
But  did  the  Jews  and  our  Lord  celebrate  the  Pasch  on  the  same 
evening?  This  is  a  much  disputed  question.  According  to  the 
Synoptics,  we  should  be  inclined  to  say  that  they  did,  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  14th  of  Nisan ;  but  according  to  St.  John,  it  would  seem 
that  our  Lord,  the  last  year  of  His  life,  ate  the  Pasch  the  night 
before  the  Jews  ate  theirs.  Those  who  accept  this  latter  opinion 
try  to  explain  the  Synoptics  in  accordance  with  St.  John.  On  what 
date,  then,  in  this  opinion,  did  our  Lord  celebrate  the  Pasch? 
Answer:  On  the  evening  of  the  14th  of  Nisan,  if  we  suppose  that 
the  Jews,  on  account  of  the  14th  that  year  being  the  day  before  the 
Sabbath,  transferred  their  Pasch  to  the  15th;  but,  on  the  13th,  pro- 
vided the  Jews,  as  usual,  celebrated  theirs  on  the  14th.  As  it  is 
not  well  proved  that  the  Jews  ever  transferred  the  Pasch  to  the 
15th  of  Nisan,  the  advocates  of  this  opinion  say  that  the  Lord  cele- 
brated the  last  Passover  with  His  disciples  on  the  evening  of  the 
13th  of  Nisan  (the  beginning  of  the  14th).  Thus  He  was  crucified 
on  the  14th  of  Nisan,  and  the  Jews  ate  their  Pasch  that  evening, 
after  the  crucifixion. 

Arguments  for  this  opinion:  —  (a)  St.  John  (xiii.  i)  says  the 
Last  Supper  was  "  before  the  festival  day  of  the  Pasch  " ;  (b)  The 
Law  (Exod.  xii.  22)  forbade  the  Israelite,  after  the  Paschal  meal, 
to  go  out  of  his  house  until  the  next  morning ;  but  that  night  Judas 
went  out  immediately  after  the  meal  and  that,  as  the  Apostles 
thought  (John  xiii.  29),  to  buy  things  for  the  festival  day,  and  soon 
after  our  Lord  and  all  the  disciples  went  out ;  (c)  The  next  morning, 
St.  John  (xviii.  28)  says,  the  Jews  would  not  enter  the  Praetorium 
of  Pilate,  "  that  they  might  not  be  defiled,  but  that  they  might  eat 
the  Pasch";  hence  they  had  not  yet  eaten  the  Pasch;  (d)  St.  John 
(xix.  31)  calls  the  day  following  the  crucifixion  a  "great  Sabbath 
day,"  doubtless  because  it  was  at  once  the  Sabbath  and  the  first  or 
solemn  day  of  the  Pasch;  (e)  the  trial,  condemnation,  and  cruci- 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXVI,  17  169 

fixion  of  Jesus  would  have  been  morally  impossible  on  the  solemn 
day  of  the  Pasch. 

Objections  to  this  opinion:— (a)  St.  Matthew  (xxvi.  17)  and 
the  other  Synoptists  say  our  Lord  ate  the  Pasch  "  on  the  first  day 
of  the  unleavened  bread."  Answer:  The  first  day  of  the  unleavened 
bread  began  at  sunset,  the  13th  of  Nisan,  and  it  was  only  after  this 
sunset  that  it  is  maintained  that  our  Lord  did  eat  the  Pasch. 
Moreover,  some  hold  that  iin'pa  wp^rri  should  be  translated  as 
if  written  rjukpa  rporepa,  i.e.,  the  day  before,  and  not  the  first  day 
of  unleavened  bread. 

(b)  All  four  Evangelists  speak  of  the  liberation  of  Barabbas  the 
day  of  our  Lord's  death,  and  Sts.  Matthew  (xxvii.  15),  Mark 
(xv.  6),  and  John  (xviii.  39),  say  it  was  customary  thus  to  free 
a  prisoner  on  the  festival  day,  i.e.,  on  the  Pasch.  Ansiver:  As  they 
were  to  eat  the  Pasch  that  same  evening,  the  liberation  of  Barabbas 
could  have  been  by  anticipation. 

(c)  If  Christ  ate  the  Pasch  on  the  evening  of  the  13th  of 
Nisan,  how  could  He  have  had  the  lamb  killed  in  the  Temple  in 
the  presence  of  the  priests,  since  this  was  to  be  done  only  on  the 
afternoon  of  the  14th  of  Nisan?  Answer:  According  to  a  more 
ancient  practice  the  lamb  was  slain  privately  by  the  head  of  the 
family ;  hence  St.  Peter  could  have  been  delegated  for  this  purpose. 

(d)  Fermented  bread  was  used  on  the  13th  of  Nisan;  hence  if 
our  Lord  celebrated  the  Last  Supper  on  that  date.  He  must  have 
used  leavened  bread.  Answer:  It  is  the  common  opinion  of  the 
Church  that  the  Last  Supper  was  the  Pasch  {Con.  Trid.,  Sess.  xxii. 
can.  i).  but  for  the  Pasch  only  unleavened  bread  was  allowed. 

Following  the  obvious  data  of  the  Synoptics  the  old  and  more 
common  opinion  is  that  the  Pasch,  the  last  year  of  our  Lord's  life, 
was  celebrated  by  Him  and  the  Jews  alike  on  the  same  day,  thJ 
evening  of  the  14th  of  Nisan. 

Arguments  for  this  opinion:  — (a)  St.  Mark  (xiv.  12)  expressly 
says  that  our  Lord  sent  His  disciples  to  prepare  the  Pasch  "  on  the 
first  day  of  unleavened  bread,  when  they  sacrificed  the  Pasch,"  and 
with  this  St.  Matthew  (xxvi.  17-20)  agrees  perfectly;  but  the  first 
day  of  unleavened  bread  was  the  14th  of  Nisan,  i.e.,  Thursday,  at 
sunset  of  which  the  15th  of  Nisan  began;  (b)  Some  writers  claim 
that  there  was  a  traditional  custom  among  the  Jews,  whenever  the 


170  ST.  MATTHEW  XXVI,  17 

Pasch  would  fall  on  the  day  before  the  Sabbath,  to  postpone  the 
Paschal  Supper  from  Thursday  evening  (the  I4th-i5th  of  Nisan) 
to  Friday  evening  (the  I5th-i6th  of  Nisan),  so  as  to  avoid  the  oc- 
currence of  two  solemn  feasts  on  successive  days ;  and  this,  these 
writers  say,  was  done  the  last  year  of  our  Lord's  life  on  earth. 
But  the  existence  of  such  a  tradition  at  that  time  has  never  been 
well  established,  and  it  is  most  probable  that  the  custom  referred 
to  is  of  a  date  later  than  the  time  of  our  Lord;  (c)  All  four 
Evangelists  speak  of  the  liberation  of  Barabbas  on  the  day  on 
which  our  Lord  was  put  to  death,  and  St.  Matthew  (xxvii.  15)  says 
that  this  liberation  of  a  prisoner  was  always  on  a  festival  day,  and 
St.  John  (xviii.  39)  says  that  this  festival  day  was  "  the  pasch." 
Hence  it  follows  that  our  Lord's  crucifixion  took  place  on  the  feast 
of  the  Pasch,  i.e.,  the  day  after  He  and  the  Jews  had  eaten  the 
Paschal  Supper. 

Objections  to  this  opinion: — (a)  St.  John  (xiii.  i)  says  our 
Lord  ate  the  Last  Supper  "  before  the  festival  day  of  the  Pasch." 
Answer:  St.  John  was  speaking  of  the  civil  day,  from  midnight  to 
midnight,  in  accordance  with  the  usage  to  which  he  had  become 
accustomed  living  among  the  Greeks. 

(b)  St.  John  (xviii.  28)  says  that  when  the  Jews  were  accusing 
our  Lord,  "  they  went  not  into  the  hall  that  they  might  not  be 
defiled,  but  that  they  might  eat  the  Pasch  " ;  hence,  they  had  not  yet 
eaten  the  Pasch.  Answer:  The  word  Pasch  sometimes  means 
"  Paschal  Lamb,"  sometimes  it  refers  to  other  victims  which  were 
offered  and  eaten  during  the  Paschal  celebration.  It  is  perhaps  in 
this  latter  sense  that  St.  John  used  the  word  in  the  above  quotation. 

(c)  During  our  Lord's  trial  and  condemnation,  there  were  many 
things  which  would  have  been  forbidden  on  a  festal  day.  Answer: 
There  is  no  proof  that  any  of  these  were  strictly  against  the  letter 
of  the  Law. 

(d)  St.  John  (xix.  31)  calls  the  day  following  our  Lord's  cruci- 
fixion "  a  great  Sabbath  day,"  which  would  indicate  that  the  Pasch 
and  Sabbath  were  combined.  Answer:  Any  Sabbath  following 
within  the  octave  of  the  Pasch  could,  with  equal  reason,  have  been 
called  a  great  Sabbath  day. 

(e)  St.  John  (xix.  14)  says  our  Lord  was  crucified  on  "the 
parasceve  of  the   Pasch,"   which  means  the  "  preparation  of   the 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXVI,  18-20  171 

18.  But  Jesus  said ;  Go  ye  into  the  city  to  a  certain  man,  and  say  to  him  : 
The  master  saith,  My  time  is  near  at  hand,  with  thee  I  make  the  pasch  with 
my  disciples. 

19.  And  the  disciples  did  as  Jesus  appointed  to  them,  and  they  prepared  the 
pasch. 

20.  But  when  it  was  evening,  he  sat  down  with  his  twelve  disciples. 

Pasch."  Answer:  "  Parasceve,"  in  the  sense  of  preparation,  could 
have  been  given  to  the  day,  because  it  was  the  preparation  of  the 
Sabbath ;  but  Parasceve  also  commonly  meant  the  sixth  day  of  the 
week. 

(f)  St.  John  (xiii.  29)  says  that  when  Judas  left  the  Supper 
room  the  other  Apostles  thought  Jesus  had  sent  him  out  to  buy 
things  "  for  the  festival  day,"  or  to  "  give  something  to  the  poor." 
But  on  the  night  of  the  14th  of  Nisan  it  was  not  lawful  to  buy  or 
sell,  and  if  the  feast  had  already  begun  the  conjecture  of  the 
Apostles  would  have  been  out  of  place.  Ansiver:  Buying  and  sell- 
ing of  articles  of  food  was  not  forbidden  during  the  Pasch  (Exod. 
xii.  16),  and  since  the  celebration  continued  during  seven  days,  it 
was  not  out  of  place  in  the  Apostles  to  think  that  Judas  had  gone 
to  make  provision  for  the  days  that  were  to  come. 

The  disciples  came  to  Jesus;  i.e.,  two  of  the  disciples  (Mark 
xiv.  13),  who  were  Peter  and  John  (Luke  xxii.  8). 

18.  Go  ye  into  the  city;  i.e.,  into  Jerusalem,  which  alone  was 
appointed  by  law  for  the  Paschal  celebration  (Deut.  xvi.  5-7). 

To  a  certain  man,  who  was  doubtless  one  of  the  Master's  dis- 
ciples.    Some  say  he  was  Mark,  the  author  of  the  Second  Gospel. 
My  time  is  near  at  hand;  i.e.,  to  depart  out  of  the  world. 

19.  And  they  prepared  the  pasch;  i.e.,  they  made  ready  the 
preliminaries  of  the  Paschal  meal,  which  comprised  the  presenta- 
tion of  the  Paschal  Lamb  in  the  court  of  the  Temple,  where  the 
head  of  the  family  assisted  the  Levites  in  immolating  it,  the  prepa- 
ration of  the  unleavened  bread,  and  the  purchase  of  the  bitter 
herbs. 

20.  He  sat  down,  —  rather,  He  reclined  (apUeLTo).  At  this 
time  the  Jews  reclined  at  their  meals  on  low  couches  or  mats. 
They  lay  while  at  table  on  their  left  side,  so  as  to  assist  themselves 
with  their  right  hand.  The  command  to  stand  while  eating  (Exod. 
xii.  II)  did  not  oblige  after  the  Jews  had  reached  the  promised 
land. 


172  ST.  MATTHEW  XXVI,  21-26 

21.  And  whilst  they  were  eating,  he  said :  Amen  I  say  to  you,  that  one  of 
you  is  about  to  betray  me. 

22.  And  they  being  very  much  troubled,  began  every  one  to  say :  Is  it  I, 
Lord? 

23.  But  he  answering,  said :  He  that  dippeth  his  hand  with  me  in  the  dish, 
he  shall  betray  me. 

24.  The  Son  of  man  indeed  goeth,  as  it  is  written  of  him :  but  woe  to  that 
man  by  whom  the  Son  of  man  shall  be  betrayed :  it  were  better  for  him,  if 
that  man  had  not  been  born. 

25.  And  Judas  that  betrayed  him,  answering,  said  :  Is  it  I,  Rabbi?  He  saith 
to  him :  Thou  hast  said  it. 

26.  And  whilst  they  were  at  supper,  Jesus  took  bread,  and  blessed,  and 
broke :  and  gave  to  his  disciples,  and  said :  Take  ye,  and  eat.    This  is  my  body. 

21.  One  of  you  is  about  to  betray  me.  According  to  St.  Luke 
(xxii.  21)  the  traitor  was  denounced  after  the  institution  of  the 
Blessed  Eucharist,  but  it  is  more  Hkely  that  St.  Matthew  and  St. 
Mark  are  correct  in  placing  the  denunciation  before.  Probably, 
then,  Judas  did  not  receive  Communion  with  the  rest  of  the  Apostles. 
See  on  Luke  xxii.  19-23. 

23.  He  that  dippeth  his  hand  with  me,  etc.  As  there  were  sev- 
eral of  such  dishes  on  the  table,  these  words  would  seem  to  show 
that  Judas  occupied  a  place  near  our  Lord.  It  is  wrong,  however, 
to  suppose  that  Judas  was  putting  his  hand  into  the  dish  just  when 
our  Lord  spoke  thus.  Had  this  been  true  all  would  have  known 
at  once  who  the  traitor  was,  and  the  subsequent  question  would 
have  been  superfluous. 

24.  It  were  better  for  him,  etc.  These  words  seem  clearly  to 
show  the  condemnation  of  Judas,  because  these  words  would  not 
be  true  of  any  of  those  who  are  finally  saved. 

25.  Thou  hast  said  it,  —  a  mild  form  of  expressing  "  yes  ;  "  these 
words  must  have  been  expressed  quietly,  as  the  other  Apostles 
seemed  not  to  understand. 

26.  Whilst  they  were  at  supper,  —  literally,  as  they  were  eating 
{eadiovTuv  Se  avruiv).  This  was  towards  the  end  of  the  meal,  after 
eating  the  Paschal  Lamb  and  partaking  of  the  common  Jewish 
supper,  which  succeeded  the  eating  of  the  Paschal  Lamb. 

Jesus  took  bread;  i.e.,  unleavened  bread,  the  only  kind  then  to 
be  had ;  or  at  least,  the  only  kind  that  was  allowed  for  the  Paschal 
Supper. 

And  broke.    Our  Lord  broke  the  bread  before  distributing  it. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXVI,  27-29  173 

27.  And  taking  the  chalice,  he  gave  thanks,  and  gave  to  them,  saying: 
Drink  ye  all  of  this. 

28.  For  this  is  my  blood  of  the  new  testament,  which  shall  be  shed  for  many 
unto  remission  of  sins. 

29.  And  I  say  to  you,  I  will  not  drink  from  henceforth  of  this  fruit  of  the 
vine,  until  that  day  when  I  shall  drink  it  with  you  new  in  the  kingdom  of  my 
Father. 

And  gave  to  his  disciples.  Since  the  institution  of  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  most  likely  took  place  toward  the  end  of  the  Supper, 
and  since  Judas  seems  to  have  left  the  table  at  the  beginning  of  the 
meal,  it  would  appear  that  the  traitor  did  not  receive  the  Sacred 
Species. 

This  is  my  body;  i.e.,  this  thing  which  I  give  you  is  my  body, — 
words  which  express  transubstantiation.  Bread  is  not  the  body 
of  Christ ;  neither  is  the  body  of  Christ  bread ;  therefore,  the  words 
"  this  is  my  body  "  can  be  true  only  on  condition  that  the  bread 
was  changed  into  the  body  of  Christ. 

27.  The  chalice.  This  was  probably  the  third,  or  fourth,  of  the 
four  cups  of  wine  mingled  with  water  that  were  used  at  the  Paschal 
Supper. 

He  gave  thanks,  to  Almighty  God,  for  the  great  benefit  about 
to  be  bestowed  on  man. 

Drink  ye  all  of  this,  — "  all  "  refers  to  the  Apostles,  and  not 
to  the  contents  of  the  cup. 

28.  For  this  is  my  blood,  words  signifying  the  transubstantiation 
of  the  wine  into  the  blood  of  Christ. 

Of  the  new  testament;  i.e.,  of  the  New  Covenant  between  God 
and  man.  Blood  was  the  ratification  of  the  Covenant.  The  Old 
Covenant,  which  was  but  a  figure  of  the  New,  was  ratified  by  the 
blood  of  the  sacrifice  (Exod.  xxiv.  7,  8),  and  now  the  New  Cove- 
nant of  the  Gospel  was  ratified  by  the  blood  of  Christ. 

Which  shall  be  shed  for  many.  The  Greek  reads,  "  is  shed  " 
(eKxvvvo/jLepov).  The  use  of  the  present  participle  shows  that  our 
Lord  was  already  pouring  out  His  blood  in  the  Eucharistic  sacrifice. 
The  blood  of  Christ  is  poured  out  for  all,  but  all  do  not  partake  of 
its  fruits. 

29.  Fruit  of  the  vine  does  not  refer  to  the  wine  which  Christ 
had  consecrated  into  His  blood,  but  to  the  other  cups  which  were 
served  during  the  Paschal  celebration.     Usually,  four  cups  of  wine 


174  ST.  MATTHEW  XXVI,  30-36 

30.  And  a  hymn  being  said,  they  went  out  unto  mount  OHvet. 

31.  Then  Jesus  saith  to  them :  All  you  shall  be  scandalized  in  me  this  night. 
For  it  is  written :  I  will  strike  the  shepherd,  and  the  sheep  of  the  flock  shall 
be  dispersed. 

32.  But  after  I  shall  be  risen  again,  I  will  go  before  you  into  Galilee. 

33.  And  Peter  answering,  said  to  him :  Although  all  shall  be  scandalized 
in  thee,  I  will  never  be  scandalized. 

34.  Jesus  said  to  him:  Amen  I  say  to  thee,  that  in  this  night  before  the 
cock  crow,  thou  wilt  deny  me  thrice. 

35.  Peter  saith  to  him :  Yea,  though  I  should  die  with  thee.  I  will  not  deny 
thee.    And  in  like  manner  said  all  the  disciples. 

36.  Then  Jesus  came  with  them  into  a  country  place  which  is  called  Geth- 
semani ;  and  he  said  to  his  disciples :  Sit  you  here,  till  I  go  yonder  and  pray. 

mingled  with  water  were  served  at  the  Paschal  Supper,  as  said 
above  (verse  27)  ;  the  meaning  of  the  passage  is  that  this  is  our 
Lord's  last  feast  on  earth  as  mortal  man. 

With  y,ou  new;  i.e.,  in  a  glorified  state,  in  Heaven. 

30.  A  hymn  being  said.  It  was  customary  to  close  the  Paschal 
Supper  with  a  song  of  thanksgiving,  the  concluding  part  of  the 
Hallel  (Psalms  cxiv-cxvii). 

31.  Then;  i.e.,  as  they  went  to  Gethsemani  from  the  supper 
room,  perhaps  about  10  o'clock  in  the  evening. 

Scandalized;  i.e.,  shocked,  disappointed,  —  and  even  led  into 
sin,  in  so  far  as  they  should  waver  in  their  faith. 

For  it  is  written,  in  Zach.  (xiii.  7),  where  we  read  the  imperative 
form,  "  strike  the  shepherd,"  as  if  commanded  by  Almighty  God. 
Our  Lord  now  applied  the  prophecy  to  Himself  and  His  Apostles, 
under  the  symbols  of  a  shepherd  and  sheep. 

32.  I  will  go  .  .  .  into  Galilee,  as  was  afterwards  verified 
(xxviii.  7,  10,  16).  Our  Lord  had  already  four  times  predicted 
that  His  Resurrection  would  follow  upon  His  death,  and  now  He 
adds  that  after  it  He  will  appear  in  Galilee. 

33.  34.  Before  the  cock  crow,  St.  Mark  (xiv.  30)  has.  "before 
the  cock  crow  twice."  The  cock  was  wont  to  crow  at  midnight 
and  at  daybreak.  The  other  Evangelists,  besides  St.  Mark,  refer 
only  to  the  last  crowing. 

Peter  loved  Christ,  but  he  relied  too  much  on  himself.  He  did 
not  know,  as  our  Lord  did,  his  own  weakness. 

36.  A  country  place  (x«ptov,  a.  farm),  which  was  an  enclosed 
garden,  containing  many  olive-trees. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXVI,  37-43  175 

2,7.  And  taking  witli  him  Peter  and  the  two  sons  of  Zebedee,  he  began  to 
grow  sorrowful  and  to  be  sad. 

38.  Then  he  saith  to  them :  My  soul  is  sorrowful  even  unto  death  :  stay  you 
here,  and  watch  with  me. 

39.  And  going  a  little  further,  he  fell  upon  his  face,  praying,  and  saying : 
My  Father,  if  it  be  possible,  let  this  chalice  pass  from  me.  Nevertheless  not 
as  I  will,  but  as  thou  wilt. 

40.  And  he  cometh  to  his  disciples,  and  findeth  them  asleep,  and  he  saith 
to  Peter:  What?    Could  you  not  watch  one  hour  with  me? 

41.  Watch  ye,  and  pray  that  ye  enter  not  into  temptation.  The  spirit  indeed 
is  willing,  but  the  flesh  weak. 

42.  Again  the  second  time,  he  went  and  prayed,  saying:  My  Father,  if  this 
chalice  may  not  pass  away,  but  I  must  drink  it,  thy  will  be  done. 

43.  And  he  cometh  again,  and  findeth  them  sleeping :  for  their  eyes  were 
heavy. 

Gethsemani  means  "  oil  press,"  so  called  because  many  olives 
were  there  produced.  Gethsemani  was  east  of  the  city,  just  across 
the  brook  Cedron  at  the  foot  of  the  Mount  of  Olives,  about  one 
mile  from  Jerusalem. 

He  said  to  his  disciples;  i.e.,  to  those  whom  He  left  without  the 
gfarden  gate ;  Peter,  James  and  John  entered  with  Him  into  the 
garden  (Mark  xiv.  32,  33). 

37.  Sorrowful  .  .  .  sad,  words  which  express  the  agony  of  His 
Passion.  St.  Luke  (x:xii.  43,  44)  observes  that  so  great  was  His 
agony  that  "  his  sweat  became  as  drops  of  blood  trickling  down  upon 
the  ground."  If  we  do  not  understand  how  this  was  possible  in  our 
Lord,  who  was  also  God,  it  is  because  we  do  not  know  all  the  rela- 
tions and  conditions  between  the  human  and  divine  natures  in  Christ. 
But  the  possibility  of  a  natural  perspiration  of  blood  is  no  longer  ques- 
tioned by  science.    See  Le  Camus,  Life  of  Christ,  vol.  iii,  p.  286,  note. 

38.  Then  he  saith  to  them;  i.e.,  to  Peter,  James  and  John. 

39.  A  little  further;  i.e.,  about  a  "stone's  throw"  (Luke  xxii.  41 ). 
in  order  to  be  more  alone  with  His  heavenly  Father. 

If  it  be  possible;  i.e.,  if  it  be  consistent  with  the  eternal  decrees; 
our  Lord  was  speaking  as  man.    Chalice  means  His  Passion. 

Not  as  I  will,  but  as  thou  wilt,  —  giving  us  an  example  how 
we  should  pray. 

40.  He  saith  to  Peter,  who  had  been  so  boastful  in  his  promises. 
It  was  not  indifference,  but  their  very  sorrow  which  caused  the 
disciples  to  fall  asleep  (Luke  xxii.  45). 

41.  That  ye  enter  not  into  temptation;  i.e.,  that  ye  be  not  over- 


176  ST.  MATTHEW  XXVI,  44-54 

44.  And  leaving  them,  he  went  again :  and  he  prayed  the  third  time,  saying 
the  selfsame  word. 

45.  Then  he  cometh  to  his  disciples,  and  saith  to  them :  Sleep  ye  now  and 
take  your  rest;  behold  the  hour  is  at  hand,  and  the  Son  of  man  shall  be  be- 
trayed into  the  hands  of  sinners. 

46.  Rise,  let  us  go :  behold  he  is  at  hand  that  will  betray  me. 

47.  As  he  yet  spoke,  behold  Judas,  one  of  the  twelve,  came,  and  with  him  a 
great  multitude  with  swords  and  clubs,  sent  from  the  chief  priests  and  the  an- 
cients of  the  people. 

48.  And  he  that  betrayed  him,  gave  them  a  sign,  saying :  Whomsoever  I 
shall  kiss,  that  is  he,  hold  him  fast. 

49.  And  forthwith  coming  to  Jesus,  he  said :  Hail,  Rabbi.  And  he  kissed 
him. 

50.  And  Jesus  said  to  him:  Friend,  whereto  art  thou  come?  Then  they 
came  up,  and  laid  hands  on  Jesus,  and  held  him. 

51.  And  behold  one  of  them  that  were  with  Jesus,  stretching  forth  his  hand, 
drew  out  his  sword :  and  striking  the  servant  of  the  high  priest,  cut  off  his  ear. 

52.  Then  Jesus  saith  to  him :  Put  up  again  thy  sword  into  its  place :  for  all 
that  take  the  sword  shall  perish  with  the  sword. 

53.  Thinkest  thou  that  I  cannot  ask  my  Father,  and  he  will  give  me  pres- 
ently more  than  twelve  legions  of  angels? 

54.  How  then  shall  the  scriptures  be  fulfilled,  that  so  it  must  be  done? 

come  by,  or  yield  to,  temptation.     Soon  temptation  would  sorely 
try  them. 

44.  He  prayed  the  third  time,  —  to  teach  us  perseverance  in 
prayer.  It  was  likely  this  time  that  the  angel  came  to  strengthen 
Him  (Luke  xxii.  43). 

45.  Sleep  ye  now  and  take  your  rest.  These  words  were  most 
probably  spoken  ironically,  as  if  to  say,  "  when  there  was  need  of 
vigilance,  you  were  sleeping;  now  it  is  too  late."  The  words  con- 
vey a  gentle  reproach, 

46.  Let  us  go;  i.e.,  to  meet  the  traitor  Judas. 

47.  Judas  led  this  infamous  band  to  the  garden  where  Jesus  was 
praying. 

50.  Friend,  whereto,  etc.,  —  literally,  "sir,  what  is  your  busi- 
ness? "  ('ErSipe  e(f>'  0  wapei). 

51.  One  of  them,  who  was  Simon  Peter  (John  xviii.  10),  struck 
with  his  sword  the  "  servant  of  the  high-priest,"  whose  name  was 
Malchus  (John  xviii.  10),  and  "  cut  off  his  ear." 

52.  All  that  take  the  sword  shall  perish,  etc.  Tlie  meaning  is  that 
all  who  enter  battle  to  kill  others,  must  themselves  expect  to  be  killed. 

53.  54.    These  verses  show  that  our  Lord's  Passion  was  volun- 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXVI,  55-60  177 

55.  In  that  same  hour  Jesus  said  to  the  multitudes:  You  arc  come  out  as  it 
were  to  a  robber  with  swords  and  clubs  to  apprehend  me.  I  eat  daily  with  you, 
teaching  in  the  temple,  and  you  laid  not  hands  on  me. 

56.  Now  all  this  was  done,  that  the  scriptures  of  the  prophets  might  be 
fulfilled.    Then  the  disciples  all  leaving  him,  fled. 

57.  But  they  holding  Jesus  led  him  to  Caiphas  the  high  priest,  where  the 
scribes  and  the  ancients  were  assembled. 

58.  And  Peter  followed  him  afar  off,  even  to  the  court  of  the  high  priest. 
And  going  in,  he  sat  with  the  servants,  that  he  might  see  the  end. 

59.  And  the  chief  priests  and  the  whole  council  sought  false  witness  against 
Jesus,  that  they  might  put  him  to  death : 

60.  And  they  found  not,  whereas  many  false  witnesses  had  come  in.  And 
last  of  all  there  came  two  false  witnesses : 

tary,  and  that,  had  He  wished.  He  could  have  prostrated  all  His 
enemies. 

55,  56.  All  this  was  done  that  the  scriptures  ...  be  fulfilled. 

If  our  Lord's  enemies  did  not  lay  hands  upon  Him  when  He  was 
teaching  in  the  Temple,  it  was  because  He  did  not  permit  them ; 
but  now,  that  the  prophecies  (Isa.  liii;  Ps.  xxi;  Lam.  iv)  might  be 
fulfilled,  He  permits  the  atrocities  of  His  Passion. 

57-59.  If  the  members  of  the  Sanhedrim  were  gathered  that 
night  at  the  High-Priest's  house  it  was  not  for  the  judicial  trial 
of  our  Lord,  which  took  place  "  as  soon  as  it  was  day  "  (Luke  xxii. 
66).  The  Great  Council  was  not  allowed  to  meet  for  official  busi- 
ness during  the  night,  but  we  know  from  St.  John  that  there  were 
also  two  night  trials  of  our  Lord  —  one  before  Annas  (John  xviii. 
13),  which  the  Synoptists  do  not  mention;  the  other  before  Caiphas 
(John  xviii.  24),  of  which  St.  John  says  nothing,  because  the 
Synoptists  had  given  an  account  of  it.  In  the  session  before  Annas 
no  capital  sentence  was  pronounced,  but  in  the  house  of  Caiphas 
our  Lord  was  declared  guilty  of  death  for  blasphemy  and  Caiphas 
ordered  Him  to  be  kept  under  guard  until  His  formal  trial  before 
the  Sanhedrim  the  next  morning.  There  were,  then,  according  to 
St.  John,  two  night  trials  of  our  Lord  in  two  different  places, 
before  two  different  judges  and  with  two  different  results  prior 
to  the  judicial  trial  before  the  Council  the  following  morning. 
This  is  the  obvious  meaning  of  the  texts  of  St.  John,  and  it 
is  St.  John,  and  not  the  Synoptists,  who  should  be  our  guide 
here. 

60.  Two  false  witnesses.    At  least  two  witnesses  were  necessary, 


178  ST.  MATTHEW  XXVI,  61-68 

61.  And  they  said :  This  man  said,  I  am  able  to  destroy  the  temple  of  God, 
and  after  three  days  to  rebuild  it. 

62.  And  the  high  priest  rising  up,  said  to  him :  Answerest  thou  nothing  to 
the  things  which  these  witness  against  thee  ? 

63.  But  Jesus  held  his  peace.  And  the  high  priest  s^id  to  him ;  I  adjure 
thee  by  the  living  God,  that  thou  tell  us  if  thou  be  the  Christ  the  Son  of  God. 

64.  Jesus  saith  to  him  :  Thou  hast  said  it.  Nevertheless  I  say  to  you,  here- 
after you  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  the  power  of 
God,  and  coming  in  the  clouds  of  heaven. 

65.  Then  the  high  priest  rent  his  garments,  saying :  He  hath  blasphemed ; 
what  further  need  have  we  of  witnesses?  Behold,  now  you  have  heard  the 
blasphemy  : 

66.  What  think  you  ?    But  they  answering,  said  :  He  is  guilty  of  death. 

67.  Then  did  they  spit  in  his  face,  and  bufifeted  him :  and  others  struck  his 
face  with  the  palms  of  their  hands, 

68.  Saying:  Prophesy  unto  us,  O  Christ,  who  is  he  that  struck  thee? 

according  to  the  Law,  to  establish  any  trustworthy  testimony  (Deut. 
xix.  15)  ;  but  these  were  false  witnesses. 

61.  I  am  able  to  destroy  this  temple,  etc.  Our  Lord  had  never 
said  what  these  witnesses  alleged.  What  He  did  say  was :  "  Destroy 
this  temple,  and  I  will  raise  it  up"  (John  ii.  19).  Moreover,  He 
was  speaking  of  His  body,  and  not  of  the  Temple  in  Jerusalem, 

63.  Jesus  held  his  peace,  as  nothing  of  importance  had  yet  been 
brought  against  Him. 

I  adjure  thee;  i.e.,  I  publicly  and  solemnly  oblige  you. 
If  thou  be  the  Christ  the  Son  of  God;  i.e.,  the  Messiah  and 
the  natural  Son  of  God,  as  our  Lord  had  proclaimed  Himself  to  be. 

64.  Thou  hast  said  it,  —  a  mild  way  of  saying,  "  I  am." 
Hereafter,  you  shall  see,  etc.;  i.e.,  after  His  Resurrection  and 

Ascension,  His  enemies  should  know  from  the  Church  which  He 
had  established  that  He  was,  in  truth,  the  Son  of  God.  It  would  not 
be  necessary  to  wait  till  His  second  coming  in  glory  and  majesty. 

65.  Rent  his  garments,  in  indignation,  but  contrary  to  the  Law 
(Levit.  X.  6;  xxi.  4,  10). 

He  hath  blasphemed,  by  proclaiming  Himself  to  be  the  Son 
of  God. 

66.  67.  He  is  guilty  of  death ;  i.e.,  he  deserves  death  for  saying 
He  is  the  Son  of  God. 

Spit  in  his  face  and  buffeted  him,  after  they  had  blindfolded 
Him  (Mark  xiv.  65;  Luke  xxii.  64).  These  atrocities  took  place 
after  His  condemnation  by  Caiphas  during  the  night  session.     See 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXVT,  69-72  179 

69.  But  Peter  sat  without  in  the  court :  and  there  came  to  him  a  servant 
maid,  saying:  Thou  also  wast  with  Jesus  the  Gahlean. 

70.  But  he  denied  before  them  all,  saying:  I  know  not  what  thou  sayest. 

71.  And  as  he  went  out  of  the  gate,  another  maid  saw  him,  and  she  saith  to 
them  that  were  there :  This  man  also  was  with  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 

'/2.    And  again  he  denied  with  an  oath :  I  know  not  the  man. 

above,  verses  57-59.  The  next  morning,  after  the  judicial  trial 
and  condemnation  by  the  Sanhedrim  (Luke  xxii.  66),  He  was 
delivered  up  to  Pilate, 

69.  Peter  sat  in  the  court;  i.e.,  in  the  court-yard.  Houses  of 
importance  in  the  East  have  a  spacious  interior  court-yard  sur- 
rounded by  a  cloister.  Entrance  to  this  court-yard  from  the  street 
is  made  through  a  narrow  door  cut  in  a  large  monumental  gate. 
The  gate  and  door  are  guarded  by  a  porter. 

Jesus,  the  Galilean.  These  words  were  spoken  in  contempt, 
since  no  prophet  was  thought  to  come  from  Galilee  (John  vii.  52). 

70.  The  apparent  differences  in  the  story  of  Peter's  denials,  as 
given  by  the  four  Evangelists,  cause  some  difficulty.  They  are 
reconciled  as  follows:  (a)  When  Peter,  at  John's  request,  was  ad- 
mitted to  the  court-yard  of  the  High-Priest  our  Lord  was  before 
Annas.  John  went  at  once  to  the  apartment  where  Jesus  was  being 
examined,  but  Peter  remaining  in  the  court-yard  took  a  seat  among 
the  servants  who  were  gathered  around  a  fire.  One  of  the  serv- 
ants, the  portress,  suspecting  him  said :  "  Thou  also  wast  with 
Jesus  the  Galilean  "  (verse  69)  ;  but  he  replied:  "  I  know  not  what 
thou  sayest"  (verse  70).  And  to  her  repeated  questions,  he  an- 
swered: '*  I  am  not  "  one  of  his  disciples  (John  xviii.  25),  "  woman, 
I  know  him  not"  (Luke  xxii.  57).  Just  after  this  Jesus  was  led 
from  the  apartments  of  Annas  across  the  court-yard  to  those  of 
Caiphas,  and  Peter  in  shame  at  the  sight  of,  Jesus  fled  towards  the 
gate  of  the  court  as  if  to  escape  (Mark  xiv.  68;  Matthew  xxvi.  71), 
when  the  cock  crew  (Mark  xiv.  68).  (b)  It  was  now  a  little  after 
midnight,  and  Peter  returning  to  the  fire  was  again  accused  by 
the  portress  and  another  maid-servant  (Matthew  xxvi.  71)  and  by 
one  of  the  bystanders  (Luke  xxii.  58)  of  being  a  disciple  of 
Jesus;  but  he  swore,  "I  know  not  the  man"  (Matthew  xxvi. 
y^),  "  O  man,  I  am  not  "  (Luke  xxii.  58).  Meanwhile  the  second 
night  trial  of  Jesus  before  Caiphas  in  the  presence  of  the  members 
of  the  Sanhedrim,  unlawfully  assembled,  was  going  on.     (c)  When 


l80  ST.  MATTHEW  XXVI,  73-75;  XXVII,  1 

7;^.    And  after  a  little  while  they  came  that  stood  by,  and  said  to  Peter: 
Surely  thou  also  art  one  of  them ;  for  even  thy  speech  doth  discover  thee. 

74.  Then  he  began  to  curse  and  to  swear  that  he  knew  not  the  man.    And 
immediately  the  cock  crew. 

75.  And  Peter  remembered  the  word  of  Jesus  which  he  had  said:  Before 
the  cock  crow,  thou  wilt  deny  me  thrice.    And  going  forth,  he  wept  bitterly. 

finally,  about  three  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  Saviour  was  led  out 
to  be  subjected  to  the  insults  of  the  servants  of  the  High-Priest 
of  the  Temple,  Peter  was  still  in  the  court-yard  under  the  fire  of 
the  questions  of  the  bystanders ;  one  of  these  called  attention  to  his 
Galilean  accent  (Matthew  xxvi.  73),  another  protested  that  he  had 
seen  him  in  the  garden  with  Jesus  (John  xviii.  26)  ;  but  Peter 
swore  "  he  knew  not  the  man  "  (Matthew  xxvi.  74).  Just  then  the 
cock  crowed  the  second  time,  and  Jesus,  turning  for  a  second  from 
the  blows  and  spittle  with  which  He  was  being  outraged,  cast  a 
glance  at  the  miserable  Apostle.  Peter,  overwhelmed  by  that  look 
of  sorrow,  fled  from  the  palace  and  wept  bitterly. 

73.  Thy  speech  doth  discover  thee;  i.e.,  thy  Galilean  accent. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 

The  Council  of  the  Sanhedrim,  i,  2. 

The  Evil  End  of  Judas,  3-10. 

Jesus  before  Pilate,  11-14. 

Jesus  and  Barabbas,  15-18. 

Pilate's  Wife,  19. 

Jesus  is  Condemned,  20-26, 

Jesus  is  Mocked,  27-31. 

The  Way  of  the  Cross,  32-34. 

The  Crucifixion  of  Jesus,  35-44. 

The  Agony  and  Death  of  Jesus,  45-54. 

The  Pious  Women  from  Galilee,  55,  56. 

The  Burial  of  Jesus,  57-66. 

I.  And  when  morning  was  come,  all  the  chief  priests  and  ancients  of  the 
people  took  counsel  against  Jesus,  that  they  might  put  him  to  death. 

I.  The  chief  priests  and  ancients.  This  was  the  formal  meeting 
of  the  Sanhedrim,  which  properly  could  not  meet  at  night.  See 
above,  xxvi.  57-59. 


ST.  MA'rrHE:vv  xxvii,  2-10  181 

2.  And  they  brought  him  bound,  and  delivered  him  to  Pontius  Pilate  the 
governor. 

3.  Then  Judas,  vi'ho  betrayed  him,  seeing  that  he  was  condemned,  repenting 
himself,  brought  back  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver  to  the  chief  priests  and 
ancients. 

4.  Saying :  I  have  sinned  in  betraying  innocent  blood.  But  they  said  :  What 
is  that  to  us?  look  thou  to  it. 

5.  And  casting  down  the  pieces  of  silver  in  the  temple,  he  departed :  and 
went  and  hanged  himself  with  an  halter. 

6.  But  the  chief  priests  having  taken  the  pieces  of  silver,  said  :  It  is  not 
lawful  to  put  them  into  the  corbona,  because  it  is  the  price  of  blood. 

7.  And  after  they  had  consulted  together,  they  bought  with  them  the  pot- 
ter's field,  to  be  a  burying  place  for  strangers. 

8.  For  this  cause  that  field  was  called  Haceldama,  that  is.  The  field  of 
blood,  even  to  this  day. 

(-).  Then  was  fulfilled  that  which  was  spoken  by  Jeremias  the  prophet,  say- 
ing: And  they  took  the  thirty  pieces  of  silver,  the  price  of  him  that  was 
prized,  whom  they  prized  of  the  children  of  Israel. 

10.    And  they  gave  them  unto  the  potter's  field,  as  the  Lord  appointed  to  me. 


2.  Delivered  him  to  Pontius  Pilate,  because  only  the  Governor 
could  lawfully  sentence  an  accused  to  death,  at  least  by  crucifixion. 
Pontius  Pilate  was  the  sixth  of  the  Roman  Procurators  to  adminis- 
ter the  affairs  of  Judea.  He  resided  ordinarily  at  Caesarea,  on  the 
sea-coast,  but  whenever  great  crowds  of  people  were  assembled  at 
Jerusalem,  Pilate  was  accustomed  to  be  present  there  with  his 
soldiers. 

3.  Judas  seeing  that  he  was  condemned,  which  was  more  than 
Judas  had  expected. 

4.  What  is  that  to  us.  These  words  show  that  the  members  of 
the  Sanhedrim  wished  the  death  of  our  Lord,  whether  He  was  guilty 
or  not. 

5.  And  hanged  himself,  the  effects  of  which  are  given  more  in 
detail  by  St.  Peter  (Acts  i.  i8). 

6.  Corbona;  i.e.,  the  treasury  of  the  Temple;  corbona,  from 
corban,  "  a  gift." 

8.  Even  to  this  day,  —  words  which  show  that  St.  Matthew's 
account  was  written  perhaps  some  years  after  the  death  of  Christ. 

9.  Jeremias  the  prophet.  In  Jeremias  (xxxii.  6  ff. )  there  is  an 
account  of  the  purchase  of  a  field,  but  the  quotation  here  made  is 
])artly  from  Zacharias  (xi.  12,  13).  The  quotation  is  attributed  to 
Jeremias,  because  the  latter  was  better  known. 


l82  ST.  MATTHEW  XXVII,  11-26 

11.  And  Jesus  stood  before  the  governor,  and  the  governor  asked  him,  say- 
ing :  Art  thou  the  king  of  the  Jews  ?    Jesus  saith  to  him  :  Thou  sayest  it. 

12.  And  when  he  was  accused  by  the  chief  priests  and  ancients,  he  answered 
nothing. 

13.  Then  Pilate  saith  to  him :  Dost  not  thou  hear  how  great  testimonies 
they  allege  against  thee? 

14.  And  he  answered  him  to  never  a  word ;  so  that  the  governor  wondered 
exceedingly. 

15.  Now  upon  the  solemn  day  the  governor  was  accustomed  to  release  to 
the  people  one  prisoner,  whom  they  would. 

16.  And  he  had  then  a  notorious  prisoner,  that  was  called  Barabbas. 

17.  They  therefore  being  gathered  together,  Pilate  said:  Whom  will  you 
that  I  release  to  you,  Barabbas,  or  Jesus  that  is  called  Christ? 

18.  For  he  knew  that  for  envy  they  had  delivered  him. 

19.  And  as  he  was  sitting  in  the  place  of  judgment,  his  wife  sent  to  him, 
saying:  Have  thou  nothing  to  do  with  that  just  man ;  for  I  have  suffered  many 
things  this  day  in  a  dream  because  of  him. 

20.  But  the  chief  priests  and  ancients  persuaded  the  people,  that  they  should 
ask  Barabbas,  and  make  Jesus  away. 

21.  And  the  governor  answering,  said  to  them :  Whether  will  you  of  the 
two  to  be  released  unto  you?    But  they  said,  Barabbas. 

22.  Pilate  saith  to  them :  What  shall  I  do  then  with  Jesus  that  is  called 
Christ?    They  say  all:  Let  him  be  crucified. 

23.  The  governor  said  to  them:  Why,  what  evil  hath  he  done?  But  they 
cried  out  the  more,  saying :  Let  him  be  crucified. 

24.  And  Pilate  seeing  that  he  prevailed  nothing,  but  that  rather  a  tumult 
was  made;  taking  water  washed  his  hands  before  the  people,  saying:  I  am 
innocent  of  the  blood  of  this  just  man ;  look  you  to  it. 

25.  And  the  whole  people  answering,  said :  His  blood  be  upon  us  and  upon 
our  children. 

26.  Then  he  released  to  them  Barabbas,  and  having  scourged  Jesus,  de- 
livered him  unto  them  to  be  crucified. 

II.  Before  the  governor.  Our  Lord  seems  to  have  appeared 
before  Pilate  three  times  during  His  trial.  This  is  His  first  appear- 
ance, also  mentioned  by  St.  John  (xviii.  29-31)  ;  the  second  is  re- 
lated by  St.  John  (xviii.  33-38),  and  the  third,  also  (xix.  8-16). 

15.  The  solemn  day,  which  would  seem  to  have  been  the  Pasch, 
as  we  infer  from  St.  John  (xviii.  39),  i.e.,  the  day  following  the 
evening  on  which  the  Paschal  Lamb  was  eaten,  or  should  have 
been  eaten,  according  to  Law.  However,  the  phrase,  koto  t'^v  ioprrivt 
merely  means,  during  the  festival  time. 

16.  Barabbas,  who  was  a  robber  and  a  murderer  (Mark  xv.  7; 
John  xviii.  40). 

19.  In  a  dream,  of  which  we  know  nothing  further. 

24.  Washed  his  hands,  showing  that  he  believed  our  Lord  to 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXVII,  27-33  183 

2T.  Then  the  soldiers  of  the  governor  taking  Jesus  into  the  hall,  gathered 
together  unto  him  the  whole  band ; 

28.  And  stripping  him,  they  put  a  scarlet  cloak  about  him. 

29.  And  platting  a  crown  of  thorns,  they  put  it  upon  his  head,  and  a  reed 
in  his  right  hand.  And  bowing  the  knee  before  him,  they  mocked  him,  saying : 
Hail,  king  of  the  Jews. 

30.  And  spitting  upon  him,  they  took  the  reed,  and  struck  his  head. 

31.  And  after  they  had  mocked  him,  they  took  off  the  cloak  from  him,  and 
put  on  him  his  own  garments,  and  led  him  away  to  crucify  him. 

32.  And  going  out,  they  found  a  man  of  Cyrene,  named  Simon :  him  they 
forced  to  take  up  his  cross. 

2,2,.  And  they  came  to  the  place  that  is  called  Golgotha,  which  is  the  place  of 
Calvary. 

be  innocent.  This  was  the  third  appearance  of  our  Lord  before 
Pilate ;  the  sending  to  Herod  and  the  scourging  took  place  between 
the  first  and  second  arraignments  before  Pilate.  It  is  not  probable 
that  our  Lord  was  scourged  more  than  once.  Therefore,  St.  Mat- 
thew relates  the  scourging  (verse  26)  out  of  its  order.  Scourging 
with  the  iiagcllum  was  the  ordinary  punishment  of  a  slave,  and  was 
usually  inflicted  on  a  prisoner  before  crucifixion.  Pilate,  however, 
in  our  Lord's  case,  seems  to  have  intended  to  scourge  Him  and 
then  release  Him  (Luke  xxiii.  16,  22). 

27.  Into  the  hall  of  the  Governor's  residence. 

The  whole  band;  i.e.,  Pilate's  body-guard,  composed  of  some 
hundreds  of  men. 

28,  29.  Scarlet  cloak  .  .  .  crown  of  thorns,  in  derision  of  His 
claim  to  kingship.  "  Scarlet,"  or  dark  red,  given  here,  is  the  same 
as  the  "purple"  of  St.  Mark  (xv.  20). 

32,  33.  Going  out,  of  the  city  to  the  place  of  crucifixion.  Among 
the  Jews,  as  among  the  Romans,  the  guilty  were  executed  outside 
the  city. 

Of  Cyrene,  which  was  a  city  of  Lybia,  in  northern  Africa,  west 
of  Egypt. 

They  forced;  i.e.,  they  forced  him  against  his  will  {bri'^aptvovai) . 
It  is  more  probable  that  our  Lord  carried  the  cross  Himself,  as 
long  as  He  could,  and  that  it  was  then  taken  by  Simon  alone. 

Golgotha,  an  Aramaic  word  meaning  a  "  skull."  Calvary  is 
the  Latin  word  for  "  skull."  The  hill  of  Calvary  was  so  called,  per- 
haps, because,  of  the  skulls  of  many  criminals  executed  there ;  or,  it 
mav  be,  because  the  formation  of  the  hill  resembled  that  of  a  skull. 


i84  ST.  MATTHEW  XXVII,  34-43 

34.  And  they  gave  him  wine  to  drink  mingled  with  gall.  And  when  he  had 
tasted,  he  would  not  drink. 

35.  And  after  they  had  crucified  him,  they  divided  his  garments,  casting 
lots;  that  it  might  be  fulfilled  which  was  spoken  by  the  prophet,  saying:  They 
divided  my  garments  among  them ;  and  upon  my  vesture  they  cast  lots. 

36.  And  they  sat  and  watched  him. 

2,7.  And  they  put  over  his  head  his  cause  written  :  This  is  Jesus  the  King 
OF  THE  Jews. 

38.  Then  were  crucified  with  him  two  thieves :  one  on  the  right  hand,  and 
one  on  the  left. 

39.  And  they  that  passed  by,  blasphemed  him,  wagging  their  heads, 

40.  And  saying,  Vah,  thou  that  destroyest  the  temple  of  God,  and  in  three 
days  dost  rebuild  it :  save  thy  own  self :  if  thou  be  the  Son  of  God,  come  down 
from  the  cross. 

41.  In  like  manner  also  the  chief  priests,  with  the  scribes  and  ancients, 
mocking,  said : 

42.  He  saved  others;  himself  he  cannot  save.  If  he  be  the  king  of  Israel, 
let  him  now  come  down  from  the  cross,  and  we  will  believe  him. 

43.  He  trusted  in  God ;  let  him  now  deliver  him  if  he  will  have  him ;  for  he 
said :  I  am  the  Son  of  God. 

34.  Wine,  mingled  with  gall.  St.  Mark  (xv,  23)  says,  "  with 
myrrh."  This  was  a  narcotic  beverage,  prepared  by  some  pious 
women  to  deaden  the  pain  of  those  to  be  executed. 

He  would  not  drink,  which  shows  that  our  Lord  wanted  con- 
sciously to  suffer  for  us. 

35.  After  they  had  crucified  him.  It  seems  more  probable  that 
our  Lord  was  nailed  to  the  cross  with  four  nails,  a  separate  nail 
through  each  foot,  as  well  as  through  each  hand.  The  feet  were 
nailed  with  the  soles  flat  to  the  wood;  and,  hence,  when  He  hung 
on  the  cross,  He  was  in  a  crouching  posture,  with  knees  bending 
outward. 

They  divided  my  garments,  Psalm  xxi.  19. 

37.  His  cause;  i.e.,  the  reason  for  which  He  was  condemned. 
St.  John  (xix.  19),  who  was  an  eye-witness,  has  perhaps  given  us 
the  most  authentic  version  of  the  superscription  on  the  cross, 
"  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  the  King  of  the  Jews." 

38.  Two  thieves,  thus  verifying  the  prophecy  of  Isaias,  "  and 
with  the  wicked,  he  was  reputed"  (liii.  12). 

42,  43.  These  verses  show  how  little  the  Jews  understood  the 
purpose  of  Christ's  death ;  just  because  He  was  the  Messiah  and 
the  King  of  the  Jews,  it  was  necessary  that  He  should  suffer  and 
(he,  that  His  children  might  live. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXVII,  44-49  185 

44.  And  the  selfsame  thing  the  thieves  also,  that  were  crucified  with  him, 
reproached  him  with. 

45.  Now  from  the  sixth  hour  there  was  darkness  over  the  whole  earth, 
until  the  ninth  hour. 

46.  And  about  the  ninth  hour  Jesus  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  saying:  Eli, 
Eli,  lamma  sabacthani?  that  is,  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken  me? 

47.  And  some  that  stood  there  and  heard,  said :  This  man  calleth  Elias. 

48.  And  immediately  one  of  them  running  took  a  sponge,  and  filled  it  with 
vinegar;  and  put  it  on  a  reed,  and  gave  him  to  drink. 

49.  And  the  others  said :  Let  be,  let  us  see  whether  Elias  will  come  to  de- 
liver him. 


44.  The  thieves  also,  which  St.  Mark  (xv.  32)  Hkewise  seems 
to  say:  but  St.  Luke  (xxiii.  39-41)  says,  "one  of  the  thieves" 
reproached  Him.  If  the  good  thief  had  upbraided  our  Lord  at 
first,  he  afterwards  repented  of  it. 

45.  From  the  sixth  hour  until  the  ninth;  i.e.,  from  about  noon  to 
about  3  P.M.  This  darkness  was  due  to  a  special  miracle ;  it  was  not 
due  to  an  eclipse  of  the  sun,  because  there  was  full  moon  at  the  time. 

There  is  not  a  little  difficulty  in  explaining  the  statements  of 
St.  John  and  the  Synoptists  regarding  the  hour  of  the  crucifixion. 
St.  Matthew  here,  St.  Mark  (xv.  33)  and  St.  Luke  (xxiii.  44)  sup- 
pose it  was  about  midday  or  before;  but  St.  John  (xix.  14)  says 
"  it  was  about  the  sixth  hour."  To  explain  this  divergence  some 
have  said  that,  as  the  third  hour  ended  and  the  sixth  hour  began 
at  midday,  the  Synoptists  were  speaking  of  the  ending  of  the  third 
hour,  and  St.  John  was  referring  to  the  beginning  of  the  sixth, 
therefore,  "  about  the  sixth  hour."'  Others  prefer  to  say  that  the 
divergence  between  the  Evangelists  is  due  to  a  divergence  in  the 
oral  tradition  which  they  followed,  or  that  an  error  was  made  by 
some  copyist  in  transcribing  St.  John. 

46.  Eli,  Eli,  lama  sabacthani?  "  Eli,"  in  Hebrew,  means  "  My 
God."  St.  Mark  (xv.  34)  has  the  Aramaic  form,  "  Eloi,  Eloi."' 
"  Lamma  "  means  "  why?  "'  *'  Sabacthani  "  means  "  hast  thou  for- 
saken me?"  These  words  are  from  the  popular  Hebrew  and  Ara- 
maic of  the  time. 

47.  Calleth  Elias.  This  was  said  perhaps  in  mockery,  because 
Elias  was  expected  to  come  with  the  Messiah  ;  or,  perhaps,  they 
understood  ''  Eli  "  for  "  Elias."' 

48.  With  vinegar,  —  a  sour  wine  called   posca  which  was  the 


l86  ST.  MATTHEW. XXVII,  50-56 

50.  And  Jesus  again  crying  with  a  loud  voice,  yielded  up  the  ghost. 

51.  And  behold  the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  two  from  the  top  even  to 
the  bottom,  and  the  earth  quaked,  and  the  rocks  were  rent. 

52.  And  the  graves  were  opened :  and  many  bodies  of  the  saints  that  had 
slept  arose, 

53.  And  coming  out  of  the  tombs  after  his  resurrection,  came  into  the  holy 
city,  and  appeared  to  many. 

54.  Now  the  centurion  and  they  that  were  with  him  watching  Jesus,  having 
seen  the  earthquake,  and  the  things  that  were  done,  were  sore  afraid,  saying : 
Indeed  this  was  the  Son  of  God. 

55.  And  there  were  there  many  women  afar  off,  who  had  followed  Jesus 
from  Galilee,  ministering  unto  him  : 

56.  Among  whom  was  Mary  Magdalen,  and  Mary  the  mother  of  James  and 
Joseph,  and  the  mother  of  the  sons  of  Zebedee. 

ordinary  drink  of  the  Roman  soldiers.    Our  Lord  had  just  before 
uttered  the  words,  "  I  thirst"  (John  xix.  28). 

50.  Crying.  What  He  said  was,  "  Father,  into  thy  hands  I 
commend  my  spirit"  (Luke  xxiii.  46). 

It  is  consummated;  i.e.,  all  the  prophecies  concerning  Me  have 
been  fulfilled,  and  the  work  committed  to  Me  by  My  Father  has 
been  accomplished. 

51.  The  veil  of*  the  temple;  i.e.,  of  the  Sanctuary  (t6v  vavoy 
of  the  sanctuary),  which  was  hung  over  the  entrance  to  the  Holy 
of  Holies. 

Bodies,  .  .  .  arose,  after  His  Resurrection  (verse  53).  It  is 
the  opinion  of  most  commentators  that  these  risen  bodies,  being 
re-animated  by  their  souls,  never  again  returned  to  their  graves, 
but  were  taken  by  our  Lord  to  Heaven,  the  first  trophies  of  His 
own  glorious  Resurrection. 

54.  The  centurion,  —  literally,  "  the  commander  of  a  hundred  " ; 
he  was  stationed  "  over  against  "  our  Lord,  to  prevent  Him  from 
being  rescued. 

55.  Many  women  afar  off.  It  was  not  safe  to  be  too  near. 
Among  these  women  was  the  Blessed  Virgin  (John  xix.  25). 

56.  Mary  Magdalen,  who,  it  is  commonly  supposed,  was  the 
sister  of  Lazarus  and  Martha.  She  was  called  Magdalen  from 
Magdala,  probably  her  native  town  on  the  west  shore  of  the  Sea 
of  Galilee.  Mary,  mother  of  James  and  Joseph.  This  was  Mary 
of  Cleophas ;  some  say  she  was  a  sister  of  the  Blessed  Virgin ; 
others,  of  St.  Joseph. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXVII,  57-66  187 

57-  And  when  it  was  evening,  there  came  a  certain  rich  man  of  Arimathea, 
named  Joseph,  who  also  himself  was  a  disciple  of  Jesus. 

58.  He  went  to  Pilate,  and  asked  the  body  of  Jesus.  Then  Pilate  com- 
manded that  the  body  should  be  delivered. 

59.  And  Joseph  taking  the  body,  wrapped  it  up  in  a  clean  linen  cloth. 

60.  And  laid  it  in  his  own  new  monument,  which  he  had  hewed  out  in  a 
rock.  And  he  rolled  a  great  stone  to  the  door  of  the  monument,  and  went  his 
way. 

61.  And  there  was  there  Mary  Magdalen,  and  the  other  Mary  sitting  over 
against  the  sepulchre. 

62.  And  the  next  day,  which  followed  the  day  of  preparation,  the  chief 
priests  and  the  Pharisees  came  together  to  Pilate, 

63.  Saying:  Sir,  we  have  remembered  that  that  seducer  said,  while  he  was 
yet  ahve  :  After  three  days  I  will  rise  again. 

64.  Command  therefore  the  sepulchre  to  be  guarded  until  the  third  day  ■ 
lest  perhaps  his  disciples  come  and  steal  him  away,  and  say  to  the  people:  He 
IS  risen  from  the  dead;  and  the  last  error  shall  be  worse  than  the  first. 

65.  Pilate  saith  to  them :  You  have  a  guard ;  go,  guard  it  as  you  know 

66.  And  they  departing,  made  the  sepulchre  sure,  sealing  the  stone  and 
setting  guards. 

Mother  of  the  sons  of  Zebedee;  i.e.,  Salome. 

57.  Arimathea;  i.e.,  Ha-Ramathaim,  a  town  of  Judea,  north 
of  Jerusalem,  the  home  of  Samuel  (i  Kings  vii.  17).  Some  say  it 
was  between  Hebron  and  Bethlehem,  therefore  south  of  Jerusalem. 

59.  Joseph  taking  the  body,  wrapped  it,  etc.  St.  Mark  (xv. 
46)  says  that  Joseph  had  bought  the  "  fine  linen  "  at  that  same 
hour.  This  seems  to  prove  that  our  Lord  did  not  die  on  the  15th 
of  Nisan,  the  solemnity  of  the  Passover,  because  some  say  it  was 
never  permitted  to  buy  on  the  Passover ;  nor  even  on  a  Sabbath  day, 
unless  preparations  for  a  Passover  which  followed  the  Sabbath  made 
it  necessary  to  buy.    See  above,  xxvi.  17  ff. 

60.  A  new  monument.  There  seems  to  be  no  good  reason  for 
doubting  that  the  site  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre  was  on  the  very  spot 
which^  the  faithful  now  venerate.  See  Le  Camus,  Life  of  Christ; 
vol.  iii,  pp.  397  ff.,  note.  The  sepulchre  was  hewed  out  of  a  rock 
according  to  the  Jewish  custom  of  the  time.  It  was  entered  through 
a  narrow  door,  but  was  spacious  enough  within  to  accommodate 
several  persons. 

61.  Mary  Magdalen  and  the  other  Mary,  who  waited  there 
until  the  sun  had  set  and  the  Sabbath  commenced. 

62-66.  The  next  day;  i.e.,  on  the  Sabbath. 

The  last  error  shall  be  worse  than  the  first;  i.e.,  if  our  Lord 


i88  ST.  MATTHEW  XXVIII,  1 

should  raise  Himself  from  the  dead,  His  hold  on  the  people  would 
be  greater  than  that  produced  by  His  doctrine  and  miracles.  These 
transactions,  conducted  on  the  Sabbath,  show  how  little  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Sanhedrim  cared  about  observing  the  Sabbath ;  and  they 
are  against  the  opinion  which  says  that  our  Lord  could  not  have 
been  put  to  death  on  the  Feast  of  the  Pasch,  because  of  the  servile 
works  thereby  made  necessary. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 

The  Resurrection  of  Christ,  i-io. 

The  Sleeping  Witnesses,  11-15. 

The  Final  Commission  of  the  Apostles,   16-20. 

I.  And  in  the  end  of  the  sabbath,  when  it  began  to  dawn  towards  the  first 
day  of  the  week,  came  Mary  Magdalen  and  the  other  Mary,  to  see  the 
sepulchre. 

I.  In  the  end  of  the  sabbath;  i.e.,  when  the  Sabbath  was  well 
over  (6\pi8e<7a^^aTcov).  The  Sabbath  closed  at  sunset,  and  this  was 
the  next  morning.  Ila^^aruv,  the  plural,  means  the  same  as  the 
singular,  i.e.,  the  Sabbath  day,  or  the  week  of  seven  days,  of  which 
the  Sabbath  was  one  day. 

Mary  Magdalen  and  the  other  Mary,  mentioned  above  (xxvii. 
61). 

To  see  the  sepulchre.  St.  Mark  (xvi.  i)  tells  us  that  their  pur- 
pose was  to  embalm  the  body  of  Jesus.  There  occurs  a  difficulty 
here.  St.  Mark  (xvi.  2)  says  the  holy  women  came  to  the  sepulchre 
after  sun-rise,  whereas  the  other  Evangelists  speak  of  the  holy 
women's  going  to  the  sepulchre  before  sun-rise,  and  St.  John  es- 
pecially (xx.  i)  says,  "while  it  was  yet  dark."  Ansiver:  St.  Mark 
is  speaking  of  the  time  of  the  arrival  of  the  holy  women ;  the  other 
Evangelists,  of  the  time  when  they  set  out  for  the  sepulchre. 
In  Palestine,  there  is  scarcely  any  twilight  at  all,  and  hence  the 
transition  from  day  to  night  and  night  to  day  is  very  sudden. 
Moreover  Magdalen  and  Mary  of  Cleophas  most  probably  set  out 
from  Bethany,  Magdalen's  home,  which  was  three  miles  from  Cal- 
vary; hence  it  could  have  been  dark  when  they  left  Bethany,  but 
daylight  when  they  arrived  at  Calvary. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXVIII,  2-4  189 

2.  And  behold  there  was  a  great  earthquake.    For  an  angel  of  the  Lord  de- 
scended from  heaven,  and  coming,  rolled  back  the  stone,  and  sat  upon  it. 

3.  And  his  countenance  was  as  lightning,  and  his  raiment  as  snow. 

4.  And  for  fear  of  him,  the  guards  were  struck  with  terror,  and  became  as 
dead  men. 


There  is  some  difficulty,  as  in  the  present  and  other  instances,  in 
reconciling  the  manner  and  details  of  the  Resurrection,  as  described 
by  the  four  Evangelists ;  but  many  apparent  contradictions  and  dis- 
crepancies will  be  explained  if  we  remember  that  each  Evangelist 
is  giving  us  an  incomplete  and  independent  account  of  a  very  un- 
usual and  exciting  event.  The  discrepancies  are  really  a  proof  of 
the  independence,  and  therefore  of  the  reliability  of  the  different 
authors.  The  one  great  fact  that  they  are  all  intent  upon,  and  upon 
which  they  all  agree,  is  that  our  Lord  icas  truly  risen. 

2-4.  A  great  earthquake,  mentioned  only  by  St.  Matthew.  This 
was  a  manifestation  of  the  divine  power,  through  which  our  Lord 
Himself  had  shortly  before  gone  forth  from  the  sealed  tomb.  The 
earthquake  did  not  occur,  neither  did  the  angel  descend  from 
Heaven  for  the  purpose  of  opening  the  tomb  for  our  Lord  to  rise ; 
our  Saviour  came  forth  from  the  tomb  without  breaking  its  seal 
in  any  way,  just  as  later  He  entered  the  chamber  where  the  Apostles 
were,  the  door  being  closed. 

Angel.  One  of  the  greatest  difficulties,  as  to  the  details  of  the 
Resurrection,  is  that  which  has  to  do  with  the  number,  places  and 
postures  of  the  different  angels  as  they  appeared.  Thus,  Matthew 
and  Mark  speak  of  one  angel,  Luke  and  John  of  two;  Matthew  says 
the  angel  was  outside  the  tomb  and  sitting  on  the  stone ;  Mark  and 
John  say  he  was  inside.  Answer:  All  these  difficulties  can  best  be 
explained  by  saying  that  there  were  doubtless  many  angels  around 
the  tomb  that  Easter  morning,  only  a  few  of  which  allowed  them- 
selves to  be  seen,  and  this  in  different  ways  and  different  places,  by 
different  individuals. 

Many  apparent  discrepancies  relative  to  the  appearances  of  the 
angels  and  the  visit  of  the  pious  women  on  that  Easter  morning 
may  also  be  harmonized  as  follows :  Our  Lord  quitted  the  sealed 
tomb  perhaps  about  daybreak.  Shortly  afterwards  an  angel  de- 
scended from  Heaven  and  rolled  back  the  stone  that  was  against 
the  entrance  to  the  sepulchre  and  sat  upon  it.     Just  then,  the  sun 


I90  ST.  MATTHEW  XXVIII,  5-8 

5.  And  the  angel  answering,  said  to  the  women :  Fear  not  you ;  for  I  know 
that  you  seek  Jesus  who  was  crucified. 

6.  He  is  not  here,  for  he  is  risen,  as  he  said.  Come,  and  see  the  place  where 
the  Lord  was  laid. 

7.  And  going  quickly,  tell  ye  his  disciples  that  he  is  risen:  and  behold  he 
will  go  before  you  into  Galilee ;  there  you  shall  see  him.  Lo,  I  have  foretold 
it  to  you. 

8.  And  they  went  out  quickly  from  the  sepulchre  with  fear  and  great  joy, 
running  to  tell  his  disciples. 

being  up,  the  pious  women  arrived  and  beheld  the  stone  rolled 
away  and  the  angel  seated  on  it.  Magdalen,  perhaps  immediately 
perceiving  that  the  tomb  was  empty,  hastened  away  to  tell  the 
Apostles  (John  xx.  2),  leaving  her  companions  still  at  the  grave. 
The  companions  then  entered  the  sepulchre,  and  an  angel  appeared 
and  addressed  them  there  (verse  5;  Mark  xvi.  5).  Affrighted  at 
the  sight  of  an  angel  (Mark  xvi.  5)  Magdalen's  companions  then 
hurried  away  with  delight  and  excitement  to  tell  the  disciples 
what  they  had  seen  (Mark  xvi.  8).  During  the  absence  of  her 
companions  Magdalen  returned  to  the  tomb,  preceded  somewhat 
by  Peter  and  John  to  whom  she  had  announced  that  the  sepulchre 
was  empty  (John  xx.  2).  Remaining  at  the  tomb  after  Peter 
and  John  had  departed  Magdalen  first  beheld  two  angels  sitting 
(John  XX.  12),  and  then  Jesus  appeared  to  her  (John  xx,  14-17). 
Very  soon  after  this  appearance  to  Magdalen  Jesus  appeared 
also  to  her  companions  who  were  on  their  way  to  tell  the  Apostles 
(verse  9). 

5.  The  angel  answering,  a  Hebrew  way  of  saying,  "  began  to 
speak." 

7.  He  will  go,  —  rather  "  He  goeth  "  (7rpoa7ei). 

8.  Some  difficulties  occur  here.  From  this  verse,  as  from  verse  I, 
and  from  Mark  (xvi.  i),  it  is  evident  that,  not  only  Mary  Mag- 
dalen, but  the  other  holy  women  also,  came  to  the  sepulchre ;  and 
it  would  seem  that  they  all  saw  the  angel  and  heard  his  announce- 
ment (verses  5-7),  and  then  hurried  away  to  tell  the  Apostles.  But 
St.  John  (xx.  I,  2)  mentions  only  Mary  Magdalen  as  having  come 
to  the  tomb  and  as  running  to  tell  the  Apostles  that  the  Lord  was 
not  there.  Answer:  Some  say  that  St.  John  does  not  give  us  all 
the  details  in  this  matter,  and  that  he  mentions  Mary  Magdalen 
only  as  the  principal  one,  or  leader  among  those  who  came ;  but 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXVIII,  9,   10  191 

9.  And  behold  Jesus  met  them,  saying:  All  hail.  But  they  came  up  and 
took  hold  of  his  feet,  and  adored  him. 

10.  Then  Jesus  said  to  them :  Fear  not.  Go,  tell  my  brethren  that  they  go 
into  Galilee,  there  they  shall  see  me. 

this  difficulty  is  also  explained  from  what  was  just  said  above,  on 
verses  2-4. 

But  again,  St.  John  (xx.  2)  say«  Magdalen  went  and  told,  not 
all  the  Apostles,  but  Peter  and  John.  Anszuer:  She  told  Peter  and 
John  first,  or  as  the  two  chief  Apostles,  but  this  does  not  prove  that 
she  did  not  also  tell  the  others.  Furthermore  from  the  commentary 
on  verses  2-4,  above,  we  see  that  Magdalen's  companions  an- 
nounced the  news  to  the  other  Apostles. 

But  St.  Luke  (xxiv.  9,  10)  says  that  Mary  Magdalen  and  the 
other  holy  women  came  and  told  the  eleven  the  things  they  had 
seen  and  heard  regarding  the  Resurrection;  whereas  St.  John 
(xx.  2)  says  that  Mary  Magdalen  announced  that  the  Saviour 
had  been  taken  away  and  that  she  knew  not  where  they  had  laid 
Him.  Answer:  St.  John  does  not  contradict  St.  Luke;  he  wishes 
only  to  show  that  the  vision  and  words  of  the  angels  had  not 
removed  all  the  doubts  and  fears  of  Magdalen.  Hence  also  St. 
John  (xx.  II)  represents  her  as  weeping  without  the  sepulchre 
on  her  second  visit  to  the  tomb  after  Peter  and  John  had  been 
there  and  left.  Patrizi  thinks  that  St.  Luke  xxiv.  9,  10  is  a  sum- 
mary account  of  all  the  announcements  made  that  Easter  morn- 
ing to  the  different  disciples  of  Christ  by  the  various  pious 
women. 

9.  Jesus  met  them.  From  the  explanation  given  above  (verses 
2-4)  we  should  say  that  the  "  them  "  and  the  "  they  "  of  this  verse 
refer  to  the  companions  of  Magdalen  to  whom  Jesus  appeared  as 
they  were  hastening  away  to  announce  to  the  disciples  what  they 
had  seen  at  the  tomb  during  Mary's  absence.  Others,  however, 
hold  that  this  is  the  same  apparition  as  is  recorded  in  Mark  (xvi.  9) 
and  John  (xx.  14-16)  which  was  made  to  Mary  Magdalen  alone. 
St.  Matthew,  these  authorities  say,  uses  the  plural  "  them,"  "  they," 
because  he  identifies  Mary  with  the  group  of  holy  women,  of  which 
she  was  the  leader,  and  he  speaks  of  what  happened  to  her  as 
happening  to  all. 

10.  Tell  my  brethren.    The  brethren  here  spoken  of  were  not 


192  ST.  MATTHEW  XXVIII,  11-17 

11.  Who  when  they  were  departed,  behold  some  of  the  guards  came  into 
the  city,  and  told  the  chief  priests  all  things  that  had  been  done. 

12.  And  they  being  assembled  together  with  the  ancients,  taking  counsel, 
gave  a  great  sum  of  money  to  the  soldiers, 

13.  Saying :  Say  you.  His  disciples  came  by  night,  and  stole  him  away  when 
we  were  asleep. 

14.  And  if  the  governor  shall  hear  of  this,  we  will  persuade  him,  and  secure 
you. 

15.  So  they  taking  the  money,  did  as  they  were  taught:  and  this  word  was 
spread  abroad  among  the  Jews  even  unto  this  day. 

16.  And  the  eleven  disciples  went  into  Galilee,  unto  the  mountain  where 
Jesus  had  appointed  them. 

17.  And  seeing  him  they  adored  :  but  some  doubted. 

only  the  Apostles,  but  all  the  faithful  followers  of  our  Lord,  who 
had  come  down  from  Galilee  to  Judea  for  the  Passover. 

II.  This  coming  of  some  of  the  guards  to  the  Sanhedrim  to 
announce  what  had  happened  took  place  after  the  visit  and  de- 
parture of  Peter,  John  and  the  holy  women. 

12-15.  The  account  given  in  these  verses  must  have  come,  either 
from  the  Sanhedrim,  or  from  friends  of' the  guards  to  whom  they 
had  communicated  what  had  taken  place  and  what  had  been 
done. 

Even  to  this  day,  —  another  passage  which  shows  that  St. 
Matthew's  Gospel  was  written  some  years  after  the  Resurrection 
of  our  Lord. 

16.  This  apparition  in  Galilee  was  the  solemn  and  formal  re- 
union between  the  risen  Saviour  and  all  His  Apostles  and  disciples. 
Some  say  that  this  is  the  apparition  mentioned  by  St.  Paul  (i  Cor. 
XV.  6),  as  having  been  made  to  more  than  five  hundred  brethren 
at  once.  St.  Matthew,  in  his  fragmentary  account,  says  nothing 
of  the  previous  appearances  to  many  at  Jerusalem  (John  xx.  19-29; 
Luke  xxiv.  36-49)  most  likely  because  these  were  more  private  in 
character  and  calculated  only  as  a  preparation  for  the  solemn  meet- 
ing of  all  in  Galilee. 

The  mountain,  —  perhaps  Mount  Thabor,  or  the  Mount  of  the 
Beatitudes. 

17.  Some  doubted,  —  at  first,  because  the  body  of  our  Lord, 
although  the  same,  appeared  altogether  different  after  the  Resur- 
rection; it  was  endowed  with  the  supernatural  qualities  of  risen 
bodies. 


ST.  MATTHEW  XXVIII,  18-20  193 

18.  And  Jesus  coming,  spoke  to  them,  saying :  All  power  is  given  to  me  in 
heaven  and  in  earth. 

19.  Going  therefore  teach  ye  all  nations;  baptizing  them  in  the  name  of 
the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

20.  Teaching  them  to  observe  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  commanded 
you :  and  behold  I  am  with  you  all  days,  even  to  the  consummation  of  the 
world. 

18.  All  power  is  given  to  me.  The  exercise  of  absolute  power 
was  now  given  to  our  Lord  by  His  heavenly  Father ;  and,  in  virtue 
of  this  authority,  He  sends  the  Apostles  into  the  entire  world  to 
preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature  (Mark  xvi.  15). 

19,  20.  Going  therefore  teach.  The  message  which  the  Apos- 
tles were  to  teach  "  all  nations  "  was  nothing  less  than  the  revelation 
which  our  Lord  had  committed  to  them. 

All  things;  i.e.,  all  the  doctrines  regarding  faith  and  morals 
which  He  had  made  known  to  them  for  the  salvation  of  mankind. 

I  am  with  you  all  days;  i.e.,  He  is  with  the  Apostles  and  their 
successors  to  the  end  of  the  world.  If  this  promise  had  extended 
to  the  Apostles  only,  and  not  to  their  successors  for  all  time,  the 
words  which  follow,  "  to  the  consummation  of  the  world,"  would 
have  no  meaning.  These  words  express  in  the  plainest  manner 
possible  the  Perpetuity  and  Indefectibility  of  Christ's  Church,  which 
by  His  solemn  promise  shall  continue  all  days  even  to  the  end  of 
time  to  teach  all  nations  the  things  which  He  Himself  taught  while 
on  earth. 


THE  GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO 

ST.  MARK 

INTRODUCTION 

I.  St.  Mark.  Mark  is  the  Latin  surname  of  the  author  of  the 
Second  Gospel.  His  name  in  Hebrew  was  John.  He  was  a  native 
of  Jerusalem  and  was  the  son  of  Mary  (Acts  xii.  12).  Joseph,  the 
Levite,  afterwards  known  as  Barnabas,  was  his  uncle  or  cousin 
(Col.  iv.  10).  Mark  was  very  probably  instructed  and  baptized 
by  St.  Peter  (i  Peter  v.  13).  About  a.d.  44  we  find  him  associated 
with  St.  Paul  and  Barnabas  and  accompanying  them  on  their  first 
missionary  journey  to  the  west  (Acts  xiii.  5).  Having  reached 
Perge,  however,  Mark  left  his  two  companions,  much  to  the  dis- 
pleasure of  St.  Paul,  and  returned  to  Jerusalem.  For  this  reason 
he  was  not  allowed  by  St.  Paul  to  join  them  on  a  second  mission 
some  five  or  six  years  later,  whereupon  Barnabas  and  Mark  sepa- 
rated from  St.  Paul  and  went  themselves  to  Cyprus.  It  seems, 
however,  that  Paul  and  Mark  were  afterwards  reconciled,  because 
about  A.D.  62,  when  St.  Paul  was  in  prison  in  Rome  we  find  Mark 
was  also  in  Rome  and  regarded  by  St.  Paul  as  a  "  fellow-laborer  " 
(Col.  iv.  10;  Philemon,  verse  24).  St.  Peter,  in  his  First  Epistle  to 
the  converts  of  Asia  Minor,  which  was  dated  from  "  Babylon,'' 
a  mystical  name  for  Rome,  speaks  of  "  my  son  Mark  "  ( i  Peter 
v.  13).  This  shows  that  Mark  was  intimately  associated  with 
St.  Peter  and  well  known  to  the  Christians  of  Asia  Minor.  Later, 
about  A.D.  67  St.  Paul,  during  his  second  captivity  in  Rome,  wrote 
to  Timothy :  "  Take  Mark  and  bring  him  with  thee,  for  he  is  use- 
ful to  me  for  the  ministry"  (2  Tim.  iv.  11). 

But,  however  much  associated  with  St.  Paul,  Mark  is  generally 
described  by  the  Fathers  as  the  companion  and  "  interpreter  "  of 
St.  Peter.     As  St.  Peter  did  not  need  an  interpreter  in  Palestine  it 


INTRODUCTION  TO  ST.  MARK  195 

seems  beyond  doubt  that  it  was  in  Rome  that  Mark  was  associated 
with  him.  According  to  the  Fathers  also  Mark  was  the  founder 
of  the  church  and  bishopric  of  Alexandria. 

II.  Time  and  Place  of  Composition.  Papias  and  Clement  of 
Alexandria  speak  of  the  Second  Gospel  as  having  been  written  dur- 
ing the  lifetime  of  St.  Peter  and  with  his  approval.  Hence  the 
date  of  its  composition  was  earlier  than  a.d.  67,  when  St.  Peter 
was  martyred.  St.  Irenaeus  (Adv.  Haer.  iii.  i)  says  that  Mark 
wrote  his  Gospel  after  the  departure  {t^obov)  of  St.  Peter  and 
St.  Paul.  Some  understand  this  to  mean,  "  after  their  death,"  which 
would  place  the  date  of  writing  the  Gospel  after  a.d.  67 ;  but  it  is 
more  probable  that  e^o5os  means,  after  their  departure  from  Pales- 
tine on  their  missionary  journeys.  That  the  Gospel  was  written 
some  time  after  our  Lord's  Ascension  seems  clear  from  its  closing 
words:  "They  going  forth  preached  everywhere"  (xvi.  20).  The 
most  probable  date  of  composition  seems  to  be  between  a.d.  42 
and  50. 

Tradition  has  always  pointed  to  Rome  as  the  place  where  St.  Mark 
wrote  his  Gospel.  The  same  is  evident  from  the  book  itself,  some 
passages  of  which  refer  indirectly  to  Rome,  as  xv.  21 ;  cf.  Rom.  xvi. 
13.  Then  also  the  occurrence  of  many  Latin  words  in  Greek  form; 
such  as'  TrpaLTcjpLov,  Krjvaos,  KevTvp'wv,  Ko5paPTijs,  etc. ;  and  the  explana- 
tions of  Jewish  customs,  as  in  v.  41,  vii.  3,  xiv.  12,  xv.  22,  34,  42, — 
show  that  Latin  was  the  language  of  his  readers  and  that  they  were 
unfamiliar  with  Palestine. 

III.  Scope  and  Purpose.  Since  St.  Mark  was  the  interpreter 
and  companion  of  St.  Peter  his  purpose  in  writing  was  the  same 
as  that  of  the  latter  in  preaching ;  namely,  to  prove  that  Christ  was 
truly  the  Son  of  God.  Hence  Mark  passes  over  the  infancy  and 
childhood  of  our  Lord,  and  begins  his  Gospel  with  the  preaching 
of  John  the  Baptist.  Straightway  he  proceeds  to  the  baptism  and 
public  life  of  the  Saviour,  and  is  insistent  throughout  his  narrative 
on  the  miracles  of  our  Lord,  which  he  intended  should  convince  his 
Gentile  readers  that  Christ  was  truly  God.  So  constant  is  Mark 
in  relating  the  number,  kind,  and  variety  of  the  miracles  performed 
by  our  Saviour  that  his  has  been  called  the  "  Gospel  of  Miracles." 

IV.  Language  and  Characteristics.  Writing  for  the  -same  Gen- 
tile converts  to  whom  St.  Peter  had  preached  St.  Mark,  it  is  ad- 


196  INTRODUCTION  TO  ST.   MARK 

rnitted  by  all  critics,  made  use  of  the  Greek  language.  His  Gospel 
has  little  proper  to  itself ;  nearly  all  the  facts  it  relates  are  found 
in  the  other  Synoptics,  especially  in  St.  Matthew.  The  Second 
Gospel's  striking  similarity  to  the  first  has  led  some  to  believe 
that  St.  Mark  translated  the  original  Hebrew  of  St.  Matthew  into 
Greek  for  the  Roman  or  Alexandrian  church.  But  as  Mark  was 
the  "  interpreter  "  of  St.  Peter,  and  wrote  for  those  to  whom  Peter 
had  preached,  it  is  only  natural  that  he  should  omit  much  given 
by  Matthew,  and  confine  himself  to  the  needs  of  his  Gentile 
readers ;  and  further  it  is  but  natural  that  the  contents  of  his  Gospel 
should  have  much  in  common  with  St.  Peter's  first  sermon  to  the 
Gentiles  at  Caesarea  (Acts  x.  34-43). 

But  notwithstanding  the  similarity  between  St.  Matthew's  and 
St.  Mark's  Gospels,  there  are  also  many  differences.  St.  Matthew, 
for  example,  is  constantly  noting  that  our  Lord  fulfilled  the  ancient 
prophecies,  while  St.  Mark  speaks  of  the  fulfillment  of  only  two 
(i.  I,  2;  XV.  28)  ;  St.  Matthew  is  careful  to  show  that  the  New  Law 
is  but  a  fulfillment  of  the  Old,  whereas  St.  Mark  makes  no  mention 
of  this ;  St.  Mark  gives  only  eight  of  our  Lord's  parables,  while 
St.  Matthew  relates  about  twenty ;  finally  St.  Mark,  unlike  St. 
Matthew,  gives  no  genealogy  of  our  Lord,  he  adds  many  explana- 
tions which  Jewish  readers  would  not  need  (i.  5;  ii.  18;  xiii.  3), 
he  interprets  Hebrew  words,  such  as  Boanerges  (iii.  17),  Talitha 
cumi  (v.  41),  Corban  (vii.  11),  and  uses  several  Latin  words 
peculiar  to  his  Gospel. 

The  style  of  St.  Mark  is  swift  and  vivid.  He  is  fond  of  descrip- 
tions and  minute  details,  and  passes  rapidly  from  one  event  to 
another.  His  favorite  word  is  immediately  ( eu^ecos ) ,  which  occurs 
in  his  Gospel  not  less  than  forty  times.  The  very  looks,  accents, 
and  gestures  of  our  Lord  are  noticed  and  recorded  by  him  (iii.  5, 
34;  V.  32;  X.  23;  xi.  II). 

V.  Authenticity  of  the  Second  Gospel.  The  unanimous  tradi- 
tion of  the  Christian  Church  makes  St.  Mark  the  author  of  the 
Second  Gospel.  Certain  of  the  early  ecclesiastical  writers  —  es- 
pecially Papias  of  Hierapolis,  Irenaeus,  and  Clement  of  Alexandria 
—  made  distinct  mention  of  this. 

Papias  (Euseb.  Hist.  Eccl.  iii.  39)  who  lived  in  the  first  part  of 
the  second  century,  and  who  was  acquainted  with  many  who  had 


INTRODUCTION  TO  ST.   MARK  197 

known  St.  Mark  personally,  says:  "That  presbyter  (most  probably 
St.  John  the  Apostle)  said,  '  Mark  who  was  the  interpreter  of  Peter 
wrote  down  very  accurately  the  words  and  deeds  of  Christ,  so  far 
as  he  remembered  them.'  "  Later,  in  the  second  century,  Irenaeus 
{Adv.  Haer.  iii.  i),  who  was  a  disciple  of  Polycarp,  who  in  turn 
was  a  disciple  of  St.  John  the  Apostle,  says:  "After  their  (i.e. 
Sts.  Peter's  and  Paul's)  departure  Mark,  the  disciple  and  interpreter 
of  Peter,  likewise  handed  down  to  us  in  writing  what  Peter  had 
preached."  Towards  the  close  of  the  same  century  Clement  of 
Alexandria  (Euseb.,  Hist.  Eccl.  vi.  14)  says:  *'  When  Peter  was  at 
Rome  preaching  the  word  of  God  his  hearers  went  to  Mark  with 
the  request  that  he  should  write  down  what  was  said,  for  he  had 
long  followed  Peter,  and  remembered  his  words.  After  writing 
his  Gospel  he  handed  it  to  those  who  had  made  the  request,  and 
Peter,  knowing  of  it,  neither  hindered  nor  encouraged  him." 

From  what  has  been  observed  under  different  headings  above,  it 
is  also  clear  that  the  Second  Gospel  gives  evidence  of  having  been 
written  at  Rome,  and  by  one  who  was  most  familiar  with  the 
preaching  of  St.  Peter.  That  St.  Mark  was  the  companion  and 
interpreter  of  St.  Peter  is  likewise  plain  from  what  has  been  already 
said. 

VI.  Division  of  the  Gospel.  The  Second  Gospel  may  be  divided 
into  five  parts  as  follows : 

In  the  first  part  (i.  1-20),  which  forms  an  introduction,  the 
Evangelist  relates  the  preaching  of  John  the  Baptist,  the  baptism 
and  temptation  of  our  Lord,  and  the  call  of  the  first  disciples. 

In  the  second  part  (i.  21-ix.  49)  the  public  ministry  of  our  Lord 
in  Galilee  is  given. 

In  the  third  part  (x-xiii.  37)  the  public  ministry  in  Judea  is 
related. 

In  the  fourth  part  (xiv-xv)  we  find  the  history  of  the  Passion 
and  death  of  Jesus. 

In  the  fifth  part  (xvi)  we  have  an  account  of  the  Resurrection, 
manifestation,  and  Ascension  of  our  Lord,  together  with  the  send- 
ing of  the  Apostles  into  the  whole  world. 


The   Gospel   according  to   St.   Mark 
CHAPTER  I 

The  Preaching  of  John  the  Baptist,  i-8. 
The  Baptism  and  Temptation  of  Jesus,  9-13. 
The  Beginning  of  the  Preaching  of  Jesus  and 

the  Calling  of  the  First  Apostles,  14-20. 
Jesus  at  Capharnaum  Cures  a  Demoniac,  21-28. 
The  Healing  of  Peter's  Mother-in-law,  29-37. 
Preaching  through   Galilee,  and  the  Healing 
of  a  Leper,  38-45. 

1.  The  beginning  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God. 

2.  As  it  is  written  in  Isaias  the  prophet :  Behold  I  send  my  angel  before  thy 
face,  who  shall  prepare  the  way  before  thee. 

3.  A  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  desert :  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord, 
make  straight  his  paths. 

1.  Some  regard  this  verse  as  the  title  of,  others  as  the  preface 
to,  the  present  Gospel.  The  first  three  verses,  in  fact,  make  up  the 
superscription  of  the  Gospel,  after  which  the  narrative  begins. 

The  meaning  of  this  first  verse  is  that  the  Gospel,  i.e.,  "  the  joy- 
ous message  of  redemption  "  which  Christ  brought  and  preached 
to  the  world,  began,  according  to  the  predictions  of  the  prophets, 
with  the  ministry  and  preaching  of  John  the  Baptist  in  the  desert. 

2,  3.  Behold  I  send  .  .  .  before  thy  face,  etc.  These  words  are 
from  the  prophet  Malachy  (iii.  i),  whereas  the  words  "make 
straight  his  paths  "  (verse  3)  are  from  Isaias  xl.  3.  Answer:  It 
was  customary  among  the  Jews  to  call  a  book  by  the  name  of  the 
author  who  was  first  in  its  contents ;  hence,  as  Isaias  was  first  in 
the  Book  of  the  Prophets  in  old  Hebrew  Bibles,  the  whole  book  was 
called  by  his  name.  Or  it  may  be  that  Malachy  was  explaining 
Isaias,  and  Mark  quotes  the  latter  as  explained. 

A  voice  of  one  crying,  etc.    See  on  Matthew  iii.  3. 


ST.  MARK  I,  4-14  i^^ 

4.  John  was  .n  the  desert  baptizing,  and  preaching  the  baptism  of  penance 
unto  remission  of  sins.  i^'^^aui.c, 

5.  And  there  went  out  to  him  all  the  country  of  Judca.  and  all  they  of 
Jerusalem,  and  were  baptized  by  him  in  the  river  of  Jordan,  confessing  their 


sms 


6.  And  John  was  clothed  with  camel's  hair,  and  a  leathern  girdle  about  his 
Icms;  and  he  ate  locusts  and  wild  honey. 

fU  'i  !^ut  ''^  P'-eached,  saying:  There  cometh  after  me  one  mightier  than  I. 
the  latchet  of  whose  shoes  I  am  not  worthy  to  stoop  down  and  loose 

Ghost        ^^^^'""^  ^°"  '^^^^  '^^*""'  ''"*  ^^  '^^"  ^^p^'""  y°"  ^'t"^  th^  ^°iy 

9.  And  it  came  to  pass,  in  those  days,  Jesus  came  from  Nazareth  of  Galilee 
and  was  baptized  by  John  in  the  Jordan. 

.nH°;».  ^S^-  ^""'^^'"''^^  '^"'""^S  "P  °"t  of  the  water,  he  saw  the  heavens  opened, 
and  the  Spirit  as  a  dove  descending,  and  remaining  on  him 

II  And  there  came  a  voice  from  heaven:  Thou  art  mv  beloved  Son-  in 
thee  I  am  well  pleased.  " 

12.   And  immediately  the  Spirit  drove  him  out  into  the  desert 

bv  s;^.^"'!^'  r'  '"  '^'^'''''  ^^''y  d^ys  ^'"1  fo'-ty  nights,  and  was  tempted 
by  Satan ,  and  he  was  with  beasts,  and  the  angels  ministered  to  him 

14^  And  after  that  John  was  delivered  up,  Jesus  came  into  Galilee,  preach- 
mg  the  gospel  of  the  kingdom  of  God, 

4.  The  desert  was  a  desolate  region  covering  the  southern  por- 
tion of  the  Jordan  valley  and  the  mountain  slopes  on  the  west  side 
of  the  river,  up  to  the  confines  of  Bethany.    See  on  Matthew  iii    t 

Baptizing  and  preaching.  The  preaching  preceded,  and  was  a 
preparation  for,  the  baptizing. 

The  baptism  of  penance.    John's  baptism  was  an  external  wash- 
ing, by  which  the  subject  acknowledged  his  sinfulness  and  his  dis- 
position for  an  amendment  of  life.     It  did  not.  of  itself,  remit  sin 
but  was  a  preparation  for  the  Gospel  and  Baptism  of  Christ,  through 
which  sins  were  to  be  remitted.     See  on  Matthew  iii.  6. 

5.  See  on  Matthew  iii.  5,  6. 

6.  Locusts.    See  on  Matthew  iii.  4. 

7.  8.    See  on  Matthew  iii.  u. 
9-    See  on  Matthew  iii.  13. 

10,  II.    See  on  Matthew  iii.  16,  17. 

12,  13.    See  on  Matthew  iv.  i-ii. 

14.  After  John  was  delivered  up.  by  Herod  Antipas,  the  te- 
trarch  of  Galilee  and  Peraea.  Herod  had  married  his  brother 
Phihp  s  wife,  while  the  brother  was  still  living,  which,  being  de- 
nounced by  John,  was  the  cause  of  the  latter's  imprisonment 


200  ST.  MARK  I,  15-24 

15.  And  saying:  The  time  is  accomplished,  and  the  kingdom  of  God  is  at 
hand :  repent,  and  beheve  the  gospel. 

16.  And  passing  by  the  sea  of  Galilee,  he  saw  Simon  and  Andrew  his 
brother,  casting  nets  into  the  sea  (for  they  were  fishermen). 

17.  And  Jesus  said  to  them :  Come  after  me,  and  T  will  make  you  to  become 
fishers  of  men. 

18.  And  immediately  leaving  their  nets,  they  followed  him. 

19.  And  going  on  from  thence  a  little  farther,  he  saw  James  the  son  of 
Zebedee,  and  John  his  brother,  who  also  were  mending  their  nets  in  the  ship : 

20.  And  forthwith  he  called  them.  And  leaving  their  father  Zebedee  in  the 
ship  with  his  hired  men,  they  followed  him. 

21.  And  they  entered  into  Capharnaum,  and  forthwith  upon  the  sabbath 
days  going  into  the  synagogue,  he  taught  them. 

22.  And  they  were  astonished  at  his  doctrine.  For  he  was  teaching  them  as 
one  having  power,  and  not  as  the  scribes. 

23.  And  there  was  in  their  synagogue  a  man  with  an  unclean  spirit;  and 
he  cried  out, 

24.  Saying:  What  have  we  to  do  with  thee,  Jesus  of  Nazareth?  art  thou 
come  to  destroy  us?    I  know  who  thou  art,  the  Holy  One  of  God. 

Jesus  came  into  Galilee.  This  is  perhaps  the  same  visit  to 
Gahlee  mentioned  by  Luke  (iv.  14)  and  John  (iv.  43).  It  was 
when  GaHlee  became  the  chief  theatre  of  our  Lord's  pubHc  min- 
istry. St.  John  (i.  43;  ii.  13;  iii.  22-24)  speaks  of  an  earher  visit 
to  GaHlee,  which  was  succeeded  by  a  mini.stry  in  Jerusalem  and 
Judea,  before  the  imprisonment  of  the  Baptist.  Our  Lord  chose 
Galilee  for  the  greater  part  of  His  public  ministry:  (a)  because  it 
was  a  great  industrial  region  and  thickly  populated;  (b)  because 
there  He  would  encounter  less  of  opposition  from  the  Doctors  of 
the  Law  and  the  leaders  of  the  people  in  Jerusalem.  See  on 
Matthew  iv.  12. 

15.  The  time  is  accomplished;  i.e.,  the  reign  of  the  Messiah,  or 
the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  is  at  hand. 

i6-20.    See  on  Matthew  iv.  18-22. 

21.  The  synagogue.  Synagogues  were  places  of  assembly  for 
public  prayer,  for  the  reading  and  expounding  of  the  Scriptures, 
and  even  for  schools.  Their  existence  dated  from  the  time  of  the 
Babylonian  captivity.     See  on  Matthew  iv.  23. 

22.  See  on  Matthew  vii.  28,  29. 
Scribes.    See  on  Matthew  ii.  4. 

23.  An  unclean  spirit.    See  on  Matthew  x.  i. 

24.  What  have  we  to  do  with  thee,  —  more  literally,  "  what 
hast  thou  against  us  that  thou  shouldst  thus  torment  us." 


ST.  MARK  I,  25-34  201 

25.  And  Jesus  threatened  him,  saying :  Speak  no  more,  and  go  out  of  the 
man. 

26.  And  the  unclean  spirit  tearing  him,  and  crying  out  with  a  loud  voice, 
went  out  of  him. 

27.  And  they  were  all  amazed,  insomuch  that  they  questioned  among  them- 
selves, saying:  What  thing  is  this?  what  is  this  new  doctrine?  for  with  power 
he  commandeth  even  the  unclean  spirits,  and  they  obey  him. 

28.  And  the  fame  of  him  was  spread  forthwith  into  all  the  country  of 
Galilee. 

29.  And  immediately  going  out  of  the  synagogue  they  came  into  the  house 
of  Simon  and  Andrew,  with  James  and  John. 

30.  And  Simon's  wife's  mother  lay  in  a  fit  of  a  fever:  and  forthwith  they 
tell  him  of  her. 

31.  And  coming  to  her,  he  lifted  her  up,  taking  her  by  the  hand ;  and  imme- 
diately the  fever  left  her,  and  she  ministered  unto  them. 

32.  And  when  it  was  evening,  after  sunset,  they  brought  to  him  all  that 
were  ill  and  that  were  possessed  with  devils. 

33.  And  all  the  city  was  gathered  together  at  the  door. 

34.  And  he  healed  many  that  were  troubled  with  divers  diseases ;  and  he 
cast  out  many  devils,  and  he  suffered  them  not  to  speak,  because  they  knew 
him. 

Art  thou  come  to  destroy  us?  The  clause  in  Greek  is 
rather  affirmative  than  interrogative.  "  thou  art  come,"  etc.  The 
evil  spirit  doubtless  knew  that  Jesus  was  the  Messiah ;  hence 
he  addresses  Him  as  the  "Holy  One."  See  on  Matthew  iv.  24; 
viii.  16. 

25.  Jesus  threatened  him;  i.e.,  He  rebuked  the  evil  spirit. 

26.  The  spirit,  tearing  him;  i.e.,  trying  to  tear  him;  that  he  did 
not  succeed  we  know  from  St.  Luke  (iv.  35). 

27.  This  new  doctrine;  i.e.,  this  new  mode  of  teaching  concern- 
ing the  Kingdom  of  God. 

29.  They  came,  etc.  This  occurred  on  the  Sabbath  day  (Luke 
iv.  38). 

31.  This  miracle,  not  given  by  St.  Matthew,  is  mentioned  by 
St.  Luke  (iv.  38,  39).  The  passage  shows  that  Peter  was  married 
before  his  call  to  the  apostolate.     See  Matthew  viii.  14,  15. 

22.  After  sunset;  i.e.,  when  the  Sabbath  was  ended,  which  was 
at  sunset. 

34.  He  suffered  them  not  to  speak.  Our  Lord  did  not  wish,  at 
this  time,  to  spread  too  much  abroad  the  wonders  He  was  working, 
lest  He  should  unduly  arouse  the  opposition  of  His  enemies.  Fur- 
thermore,  He  wished  that  those  about   Him  should   rather  grasp 


202  ST.  MARK  I,  35-45 

35.  And  rising  very  early,  going  out,  he  went  into  a  desert  place :  and  there 
he  prayed. 

36.  And  Simon,  and  they  that  were  with  him,  followed  after  him. 

2,7.   And  when  they  had  found  him,  they  said  to  him :  All  seek  for  thee. 

38.  And  he  saith  to  them :  Let  us  go  into  the  neighbouring  towns  and  cities, 
that  I  may  preach  there  also ;  for  to  this  purpose  am  I  come. 

39.  And  he  was  preaching  in  their  synagogues,  and  in  all  Galilee,  and  cast- 
ing out  devils. 

40.  And  there  came  a  leper  to  him,  beseeching  him,  and  kneeling  down  said 
to  him:  If  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  me  clean. 

41.  And  Jesus  having  compassion  on  him,  stretched  forth  his  hand;  and 
touching  him,  saith  to  him :  I  will.    Be  thou  made  clean. 

42.  And  when  he  had  spoken,  immediately  the  leprosy  departed  from  him, 
and  he  was  made  clean. 

43.  And  he  strictly  charged  him,  and  forthwith  sent  him  away. 

44.  And  he  saith  to  him:  See  thou  tell  no  one;  but  go,  shew  thyself  to  the 
high  priest,  and  offer  for  thy  cleansing  the  things  that  Moses  commanded,  for 
a  testimony  to  them. 

45.  But  he  being  gone  out,  began  to  publish  and  to  blaze  abroad  the  word : 
so  that  he  could  not  openly  go  into  the  city,  but  was  without  in  desert  places : 
and  they  flocked  to  him  from  all  sides. 

the  spirituality  of  His  teaching  than  be  moved  by  the  cures  per- 
formed on  their  bodies. 

35.  And  rising  very  early;  i.e.,  very  early  the  next  morning 
(Luke  iv.  42). 

There  he  prayed.  Our  Lord  was  accustomed  frequently  to  with- 
draw from  the  crowds  and  retire  to  the  mountains  or  desert  places, 
in  order  the  better  to  be  able  to  speak  to  His  Father  in  prayer, 
thus  giving  us  an  example  of  how  we  should  act. 

38.  For  to  this  purpose  am  I  come,  —  literally,  "  did'  I  come  " 
{l^r\KQtv).  Our  Lord  came  to  preach  the  Gospel,  not  to  one  or 
another  city,  but  to  all  who  needed  it  among  the  Jev/s  (Luke  iv.  43). 

40-44.    See  on  Matthew  viii.  2-4. 

He  strictly  charged  him;  i.e.,  He  earnestly  charged  him,  for 
the  reason  given  above  in  verse  34. 

Show  thyself  to  the  priest.    See  Lev.  xiv.  2. 

45.  So  great  was  the  leper's  joy  over  being  cured  that  he  could 
not  keep  from  publishing  his  cure.  Evidently  he  did  not  take  seri- 
ously our  Lord's  command. 


ST.  MARK  II,  1-12  203 


CHAPTER  II 

The  Healing  of  the  Paralytic  at  Capharnaum, 
1-12. 

The  Calling  of  Levi,  the  Publican,  13-17. 

The  Discourse  on  Fasting,  18-22. 

The  Plucking  of  the  Ears  of  Corn  on  the  Sab- 
bath, 23-28. 

1.  And  again  he  entered  into  Capharnaum  after  some  days. 

2.  And  it  was  heard  that  he  was  in  the  house,  and  many  came  together,  so  that 
there  was  no  room ;  no,  not  even  at  the  door ;  and  he  spoke  to  them  the  word. 

3.  And  they  came  to  him,  bringing  one  sick  of  the  palsy,  who  was  carried 
by  four. 

4.  And  when  they  could  not  offer  him  unto  him  for  the  multitude,  they  un- 
covered the  roof  where  he  was ;  and  opening  it,  they  let  down  the  bed  wherein 
the  man  sick  of  the  palsy  lay. 

5.  And  when  Jesus  had  seen  their  faith,  he  saith  to  the  sick  of  the  palsy : 
Son.  thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee. 

6.  And  there  were  some  of  the  scribes  sitting  there,  and  thinking  in  their 
hearts : 

7.  Why  doth  this  man  speak  thus?  he  blasphemeth.  Who  can  forgive  sins, 
but  God  only  ? 

8.  Which  Jesus  presently  knowing  in  his  spirit,  that  they  so  thought  within 
themselves,  saith  to  them:  Why  think  you  these  things  in  your  hearts? 

9.  Which  is  easier,  to  say  to  the  sick  of  the  palsy :  Thy  sins  are  forgiven 
thee ;  or  to  say :  Arise,  take  up  thy  bed,  and  walk? 

ID.  But  that  you  may  know  that  the  Son  of  man  hath  power  on  earth  to 
forgive  sins,  (he  saith  to  the  sick  of  the  palsy,) 

11.  I  say  to  thee:  Arise,  take  up  thy  bed,  and  go  into  thy  house. 

12.  And  immediately  he  arose  ;  and  taking  up  his  bed,  went  his  way  in  the  sight 
of  all ;  so  that  all  wondered  and  glorified  God,  saying :  We  never  saw  the  like. 

1.  After  some  days.  It  must  have  been  several  weeks,  because 
meanwhile  He  had  been  preaching  in  all  Galilee,  as  expressly  stated 
in  i.  39. 

2.  In  the  house,  of  St.  Peter,  where  He  was  before  (i.  29). 
He  spoke  to  them  the  word;  i.e.,  the  word  of  God.     Cf.  Acts 

X.  36,  37- 

4.  They  uncovered  the  roof,  etc.  The  roofs  of  houses  in  Pales- 
tine were  flat,  and  were  often  ascended  from  the  outside  by  stairs. 
They  were  covered  with  tiles  (Luke  v.  19). 

5-12.    See  on  Matthew  ix.  2-8. 


204  ST.  MARK  II,  13-17 

13.  And  he  went  forth  again  to  the  sea  side ;  and  all  the  multitude  came  to 
him,  and  he  taught  them. 

14.  And  when  he  was  passing  by,  he  saw  Levi  the  son  of  Alpheus  sitting 
at  the  receipt  of  custom;  and  he  saith  to  him:  Follow  me.  And  rising  up,  he 
followed  him. 

15.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  as  he  sat  at  meat  in  his  house,  many  publicans 
and  sinners  sat  down  together  with  Jesus  and  his  disciples.  For  they  were 
many,  who  also  followed  him. 

16.  And  the  scribes  and  the  Pharisees,  seeing  that  he  ate  with  publicans 
and  sinners,  said  to  his  disciples:  Why  doth  your  master  eat  and  drink  with 
publicans  and  sinners? 

17.  Jesus  hearing  this,  saith  to  them :  They  that  are  well  have  no  need  of  a 
physician,  but  they  that  are  sick.    For  I  came  not  to  call  the  Just,  but  sinners. 

13.  To  the  sea  side;  i.e.,  to  the  shore  of  the  Sea  of  GaHlee,  or 
Lake  of  Genesareth,  as  it  was  also  called.  From  this  verse,  it 
seems  evident  that  Capharnaum  was  some  little  way  back  from  the 
lake. 

14.  He  saw  Levi.  Levi  was  St.  Matthew.  All  the  Synoptics 
note  the  call  of  Matthew  after  the  healing  of  the  paralytic  (Mat- 
thew ix.  9;  Luke  v.  27). 

At  the  receipt  of  custom.    See  on  Matthew  v.  46;  ix.  9. 

And  rising  up  he  followed  him.  This  could  not  have  been 
immediately,  since  we  know  from  the  verse  following,  and  from 
Luke  (v.  29),  that  first  "  he  made  a  great  feast  in  his  own  house  " 
for  our  Lord.  Hence  some  little  time  must  have  been  allowed  him 
to  arrange  his  affairs  and  provide  this  feast. 

15.  Many  publicans  and  sinners  sat  down,  etc.  These  were 
friends  of  Matthew.  As  the  houses  were  kept  open  in  the  East, 
it  was  not  unusual  for  friends  of  a  host  freely  to  enter  during  a 
feast  and  take  their  place  at  table. 

They  were  many  who  also  followed  him;  i.e.,  many  publicans 
and  sinners  like  Matthew  also  became  Christ's  disciples. 

t6,  17.    See  on  Matthew  ix.  11,  12. 

Why  doth  your  master  eat  and  drink.  The  Scribes  and  Phari- 
sees were  trying  to  influence  the  disciples  against  our  Saviour  by 
intimating  that,  since  He  ate  and  drank  with  sinners.  He  Himself 
must  be  a  sinner. 

They  that  are  well,  etc.  Our  Lord  in  these  words  shows  the 
Pharisee  that  His  purpose  in  the  world  is  to  save  sinners,  and  not 
to  conform  to  the  prescriptions  of  Pharisaical  formalism. 


ST.  MARK  II,  18-28 


20; 


18.    And  the  disciples  of  John  and  the  Pharisees  used  to  fast;  and  they 
con.e  and  say  to  h.m  :  Why  do  the  disciples  of  John  and  of  the  Phar  sees  fast 
but  thy  disciples  do  not  fast? 

.c  t  u"^  ^""'  '^'*^  *°  '^"''^  '■  ^^^"  '^'  ^h''^'-''"  °f  the  marriage  fast,  as  long 
as  the  bridegroom  IS  with  them?  As  long  as  they  have  the  bridegroom  with 
tnem,  they  cannot  fast. 

.h  ^°'  ^"i.?'  '^T  '^,'''  '°'"'  '''^'"  *^"  bridegroom  shall  be  taken  away  from 
them ;  and  then  they  shall  fast  in  those  days. 

21.    No  man  seweth  a  piece  of  raw  cloth  to  an  old  garment:  otherwise  the 
new  piecing  taketh  away  from  the  old.  and  there  is  made  a  greater  rent 

22  And  no  man  putteth  new  wine  into  old  bottles:  otherwise  the  wine  will 
burst  the  bottles,  and  both  the  wine  will  be  spilled,  and  the  bottles  will  be  lost 
iJut  new  wme  must  be  put  into  new  bottles. 

.u  ^^'uu"l  '\^^"!^  *°  P'^''  ^^^"''  ^'  ^^"^  L°'d  ^^'^^^  through  the  corn  fields  on 
the  sabbath,  that  his  disciples  began  to  go  forward,  and  to  pluck  the  earsof  corn 

24.  And  the  Pharisees  said  to  him:  Behold,  why  do  they  on  the  sabbath 
day  that  which  is  not  lawful? 

25.  And  he  said  to  them :  Have  you  never  read  what  David  did  when  he 
had  need,  and  was  hungry  himself,  and  they  that  were  with  him? 

26^    How  he  went  into  the  house  of  God,  under  Abiathar  the  high-priest 
and  did  eat  the  loaves  of  proposition,  which  was  not  lawful  to  eat  but  for  the 
priests,  and  gave  to  them  who  were  with  him  ? 
the^sabbalh  ^'  '^'"^  '°  them :  The  sabbath  was  made  for  man,  and  not  man  for 

28.    Therefore  the  Son  of  man  is  Lord  of  the  sabbath  also. 

For  I  atn  come  not  to  call  the  just,  etc.    The  conjunction  "  for  " 
IS  not  in  the  Greek.     See  on  Matthew  ix.  13. 
18-20.    See  on  Matthew  ix.  14,  15. 

21,  22.  In  these  verses,  our  Lord  tells  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees 
that  it  will  not  do  to  impose  too  quickly  on  His  disciples  the  per- 
fection of  the  New  Law,  that  the  worn-out  observances  of  the  Old 
Dispensation  are  not  able  to  support  the  sublime  requirements  of 
the  New.    See  on  iMatthew  ix.  16,  17. 

23-26.    See  on  Matthew  xii.  1-5. 
^  And  it  came  to  pass  again;  i.e.,  on  another  occasion.    The  word 
"again"  is  not  in  the  Greek. 

Under  Abiathar  the  high-priest,  —  rather.  ''  in  the  davs  of  Abia- 
thar the  high-priest  "  (eTrl  •A^cddap  apxckpecs).  But  de  facto  Abime- 
lech,  the  father  of  Abiathar,  was  then  High-Priest  (i  Kings  xxi  i) 
Anszver:  Our  Lord  speaks  of  Abiathar  as  High-Priest,  because  he 
became  so  after  his  father,  and  even  during  his  father's  life  was  the 
more  famous  of  the  two. 
28.    See  on  Matthew  xii.  8. 


3o6  ST.  MARK  III,  1-6 


CHAPTER   III 

The  Man  with  the  Withered  Hand,  i-6. 
Various  Miracles  on  the  Borders  of  the  Lake, 

7-12. 
The  Choosing  of  the  Apostles,  13-19. 
Jesus  and  Beelzebub,  20-30. 
Jesus  Sought  by  His  Mother  and  Brethren,  31-35. 

1.  And  he  entered  again  into  the  synagogue,  and  there  was  a  man  there  who 
had  a  withered  hand. 

2.  And  they  watched  him  whether  he  would  heal  on  the  sabbath  days;  that 
they  might  accuse  him. 

3.  And  he  said  to  the  man  who  had  the  withered  hand :  Stand  up  in  the 
midst. 

4.  And  he  saith  to  them :  Is  it  lawful  to  do  good  on  the  sabbath  days,  or 
to  do  evil?  to  save  life,  or  to  destroy?    But  they  held  their  peace. 

5.  And  looking  round  about  on  them  with  anger,  being  grieved  for  the 
blindness  of  their  hearts,  he  saith  to  the  man:  Stretch  forth  thy  hand.  And 
he  stretched  it  forth :  and  his  hand  was  restored  unto  him. 

6.  And  the  Pharisees  going  out,  immediately  made  a  consultation  with  the 
Herodians  against  him,  how  they  might  destroy  him. 

1-5.  This  was  on  "another  sabbath"  (Luke  vi.  6).  See  on 
Matthew  xii.  9-13. 

They  watched  him;  i.e.,  the  Pharisees  watched  Him,  because 
they  held  that  it  was  unlawful  to  heal  on  the  Sabbath.  Is  it  law- 
ful to  do  good  ...  or  to  do  evil ;  i.e.,  is  it  lawful  to  show  charity 
and  mercy,  and  thereby  do  good  on  the  Sabbath,  or  to  withhold 
these  virtues,  and  thereby  do  evil?  But  they  held  their  peace, 
because  they  did  not  want  the  crowd  around  to  see  their  hypocrisy. 
And  looking  round  about  .  .  .  with  anger,  etc.  This  is  one  of 
St.  Mark's  graphic  touches  to  show  the  indignation  of  Jesus  towards 
the  Pharisees. 

Made  a  consultation.    See  on  Matthew  xii.  14. 

With  the  Herodians.  The  Herodians  were  the  party  in  Galilee 
favorable  to  Herod  the  tetrarch.  For  any  other  purpose,  except 
to  destroy  our  Lord,  the  Pharisees  would  have  nothing  to  do  with 
the  Herodians ;  they  hated  them. 


ST.  MARK  III,  7-20  207 

7.  But  Jesus  retired  with  his  disciples  to  the  sea ;  and  a  great  multitude  fol- 
lowed him  from  Galilee  and  Judea, 

8.  And  from  Jerusalem,  and  from  Idumea,  and  from  beyond  the  Jordan. 
And  they  about  Tyre  and  Sidon,  a  great  multitude,  hearing  the  things  which 
he  did,  came  to  him. 

9.  And  he  spoke  to  his  disciples  that  a  small  ship  should  wait  on  him  be- 
cause of  the  multitude,  lest  they  should  throng  him. 

10.  For  he  healed  many,  so  that  they  pressed  upon  him  for  to  touch  him, 
as  many  as  had  evils. 

11.  And  the  unclean  spirits,  when  they  saw  him,  fell  down  before  him  :  and 
they  cried,  saying : 

12.  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God.  And  he  strictly  charged  them  that  they 
should  not  make  him  known. 

13.  And  going  up  into  a  mountain,  he  called  unto  him  whom  he  would 
himself  :  and  they  came  to  him. 

14.  And  he  made  that  twelve  should  be  with  him,  and  that  he  might  send 
them  to  preach. 

15.  And  he  gave  them  power  to  heal  sicknesses,  and  to  cast  out  devils. 

16.  And  to  Simon  he  gave  the  name  Peter : 

17.  And  James  the  son  of  Zebedee,  and  John  the  brother  of  James;  and  he 
named  them  Boanerges,  which  is,  The  sons  of  thunder : 

18.  And  Andrew  and  Philip,  and  Bartholomew  and  Matthew,  and  Thomas 
and  James  of  Alpheus,  and  Thaddeus,  and  Simon  the  Cananean  : 

19.  And  Judas  Iscariot,  who  also  betrayed  him. 

20.  And  they  come  to  a  house,  and  the  multitude  cometh  together  again,  so 
that  they  could  not  so  much  as  eat  bread. 

7,  8.  But  Jesus  retired  ...  to  the  sea;  i.e.,  to  the  Sea  of 
Galilee ;  in  the  Greek  verse  7  is  introduced  by  "  and  "  instead  of 
*'  but,"  which  seems  much  more  proper.  And  from  Idumea, 
which  is  southeast  of  Judea.  And  from  beyond  the  Jordan, 
which  was  the  region  called  Peraea. 

Tyre  and  Sidon.  Tyre  was  the  capital  of  Phoenicia;  Sidon 
was  an  important  commercial  city  of  the  same  country  on  the 
seashore. 

9.  A  small  ship,  etc.,  in  order  that  He  might  be  able  to  retire 
from  the  crowd. 

II,  12.  See  on  Matthew  xii.  15,  16.  Unclean  spirits  .  .  .  fell 
down  before  him;  i.e..  the  people  possessed  by  these  evil  spirits 
fell  down  before  Him.  The  devils  that  tormented  these  unfortu- 
nates recognized  and  declared  our  Saviour  to  be  their  spiritual 
Master,  the  true  Son  of  God. 

13-19.  St.  Luke  (vi.  12),  tells  us  that  our  Lord,  the  night  before 
He  called  His  Apostles,  spent  the  whole  night  on  the  mountain 


2o8  ST.  MARK  III,  21-26 

21.  And  when  his  friends  had  heard  of  it,  they  went  out  to  lay  hold  on 
him.    For  they  said  :  He  is  become  mad. 

22.  And  the  scribes  who  were  come  down  from  Jerusalem,  said :  He  hath 
Beelzebub,  and  by  the  prince  of  devils  he  casteth  out  devils. 

23.  And  after  he  had  called  them  together,  he  said  to  them  in  parables : 
How  can  Satan  cast  out  Satan  ? 

24.  And  if  a  kingdom  be  divided  against  itself,  that  kingdom  cannot  stand. 

25.  And  if  a  house  be  divided  against  itself,  that  house  cannot  stand. 

26.  And  if  Satan  be  risen  up  against  himself,  he  is  divided,  and  cannot 
stand,  but  hath  an  end. 

in  prayer.  The  mountain  here  mentioned  was  some  one  near  the 
Sea  of  GaHlee,  most  likely  the  Horns  of  Hattin  behind  Caphar- 
naum.  In  these  verses  St.  Mark  points  out  the  purpose  for  which 
our  Lord  chose  His  Apostles;  namely,  (a)  to  be  His  constant  com- 
panions; (b)  to  preach  and  carry  on  His  teaching;  (c)  to  heal  the 
sick  and  cast  out  devils.  This  was  the  formal  calling  of  the  Apos- 
tles, to  which  that  mentioned  in  i.  16 ;  ii.  14,  was  only  a  preliminary. 

Boanerges,  which  means  "  Sons  of  Thunder."  They  were  so 
named  because  of  the  energy  and  fire  of  their  character. 

James  of  Alpheus,  who  was  James  the  Less,  first  Bishop  of 
Jerusalem. 

Simon,  the  Cananean.  "  Cananean ''  here  means  "  Zealot," 
from  the  Hebrew  Kana  —  to  be  zealous.  He  was  called  a 
Zealot,  perhaps  because  of  his  zeal  in  the  observance  of  the  Law, 
perhaps  also  because  he  had  formerly  belonged  to  the  party  of 
•'  Zealots." 

Judas  Iscariot;  i.e.,  Judas  of  Kerioth,  or  Karioth,  a  town  of 
Judea.  Judas  was  the  only  Judean  among  the  Apostles.  See  also 
on  Matthew  x.  1-4.  , 

21.  His  friends;  i.e.,  those  who  belonged  to  Him  (01  rap'  avrov), 
His  relatives,  who  are  mentioned  as  brethren  in  verse  31. 

He  is  become  mad  {k^karr)).  The  meaning  is  that  His  rela- 
tives thought  He  was  carried  away  by  enthusiasm ;  not  that  they 
thought  our  Lord  was  insane.  For  this  common  use  of  the  verb, 
e^icrravaL,  cf.  v.  42;  Luke  viii.  56;  Acts  x.  45;  2  Cor.  v.  13.  Our 
Blessed  Lady  never  thought  her  Divine  Son  was  mad,  or  that  He 
acted  strangely. 

22.  Beelzebub.    See  on  Matthew  x.  25 ;  ix.  34. 

23.  Parables.    The  term  here  means  illustrations,  comparisons. 
24-26.    The  argument  of  these  verses  is  that  it  is  impossible  to 


ST.  MARK  III,  27-35;  IV,  1,  2  209 

27.  No  man  can  enter  into  the  house  of  a  strong  man  and  rob  him  oi  his 
goods,  unless  he  first  bind  the  strong  man,  and  then  shall  he  plunder  his 
house. 

28.  Amen  I  say  to  you,  that  all  sins  shall  be  forgiven  unto  the  sons  of  men, 
and  the  blasphemies  wherewith  they  shall  blaspheme : 

29.  But  he  that  shall  blaspheme  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  shall  never  have 
forgiveness,  but  shall  be  guilty  of  an  everlasting  sin. 

30.  Because  they  said  :  He  hath  an  unclean  spirit. 

31.  And  his  mother  and  his  brethren  came ;  and  standing  without,  sent  unto 
him,  calling  him. 

32.  And  the  multitude  sat  about  him ;  and  they  say  to  him  :  Behold  thy 
mother  and  thy  brethren  without  seek  for  thee. 

33.  And  answering  them,  he  said :  Who  is  my  mother  and  my  brethren? 

34.  And  looking  round  about  on  them  who  sat  about  him,  he  saith :  Behold 
my  mother  and  my  brethren. 

35.  For  whosoever  shall  do  the  will  of  God,  he  is  my  brother,  and  my 
sister,  and  mother. 

be  at  the  same  time  working  against  the  devil  and  in  league  with 
him ;  no  one  can  successfully  work  against  himself  without  evenUi- 
ally  suffering  defeat. 

2y.    See  on  Matthew  xii.  29. 

28,  29.    Sec  on  Matthew  xii.  31,  32. 

30.  Here  the  Evangelist  gives  the  reason  why  our  Lord  had 
condemned  the  Pharisees. 

31-35.    See  on  Matthew  xii.  46-50. 


CHAPTER   IV 

The  Parable  of  the  Sower,  1-20. 

The  Messianic  Light,  21-25. 

The  Parable  of  the  Seed,  26-29. 

The  Parable  of  the  Mustard  Seed,  30-34. 

The  Stilling  of  the  Tempest,  35-40. 

1.  And  again  he  began  to  teach  by  the  sea  side ;  and  a  great  multitude  was 
gathered  together  unto  him,  so  that  he  went  up  into  a  ship,  and  sat  in  the  sea ; 
and  all  the  multitude  was  upon  the  land  by  the  sea  side. 

2.  And  he  taught  them  many  things  in  parables,  and  said  unto  them  in  his 
doctrine : 

1.  And  again  he  began  to  teach,  "  Again  "  here  refers  back  to 
ii.  13  and  iii.  7.     Cf.  on  Matthew  xiii.  i. 

2.  In  his  doctrine;  i.e.,  in  His  teaching  {8i8dxv)- 


210  ST.  MARK  IV,  3-16 

3.  Hear  ye :  Behold,  the  sower  went  out  to  sow. 

4.  And  whilst  he  sowed,  some  fell  by  the  way  side,  and  the  birds  of  the 
air  came  and  ate  it  up. 

5.  And  other  some  fell  upon  stony  ground,  where  it  had  not  much  earth ; 
and  it  shot  up  immediately,  because  it  had  no  depth  of  earth. 

6.  And  when  the  sun  was  risen,  it  was  scorched ;  and  because  it  had  no 
root,  it  withered  away. 

7.  And  some  fell  among  thorns ;  and  the  thorns  grew  up,  and  choked  it, 
and  it  yielded  no  fruit. 

8.  And  some  fell  upon  good  ground;  and  brought  forth  fruit  that  grew 
up,  and  increased  and  yielded,  one  thirty,  another  sixty,  and  another  a 
hundred. 

9.  And  he  said  :  He  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear. 

10.  And  when  he  was  alone,  the  twelve  that  were  with  him  asked  him  the 
parable. 

11.  And  he  said  to  them:  To  you  it  is  given  to  know  the  mystery 
of  the  kingdom  of  God:  but  to  them  that  are  without,  all  things  are  done 
in  parables : 

12.  That  seeing  they  may  see,  and  not  perceive ;  and  hearing  they  may  hear, 
and  not  understand :  lest  at  any  time  they  should  be  converted,  and  their  sins 
should  be  forgiven  them. 

13.  And  he  saith  to  them :  Are  you  ignorant  of  this  parable?  and  how  shall 
you  know  all  parables? 

14.  He  that  soweth,  soweth  the  word. 

15.  And  these  are  they  by  the  way  side,  where  the  word  is  sown,  and  as 
soon  as  they  have  heard,  immediately  Satan  cometh,  and  taketh  away  the  word 
that  was  sown  in  their  hearts. 

16.  And  these  likewise  are  they  that  are  sown  on  the  stony  ground :  who 
when  they  have  heard  the  word,  immediately  receive  it  with  joy. 

3-8.    See  on  Matthew  xiii.  3-8. 

10-12.  See  on  Matthew  xiii.  10-13.  But  to  them  that  are 
without;  i.e.,  to  all  who  are  not  well  disposed  to  receive  His 
teaching. 

All  things  ...  in  parables;  i.e.,  all  the  truths  relating  to  God 
and  His  kingdom  are  imparted  in  a  veiled  manner  as  a  punishment 
to  those  who  are  ill  disposed  to  receive  them. 

That  seeing  they  may  see,  etc.  This  describes  the  state  of 
obduracy  and  blindness  which,  because  of  their  sins,  the  Scribes 
and  Pharisees  were  allowed  to  fall  into.  What  was  for  the  good 
of  others  was  for  them  an  evil  and  a  punishment.  See  on  Matthew 
xiii.  14,  15. 

13.  How  shall  you  know  all  parables;  i.e.,  all  the  other  parables 
which  He  was  to  give. 

14-20.    See  on  Matthew  xiii.  18-23. 


ST.  MARK  IV,  17-29  211 

17.  And  they  have  no  root  in  themselves,  but  are  only  for  a  time :  and  then 
when  tribulation  and  persecution  ariseth  for  the  vi'ord,  they  are  presently  scan- 
dalized. 

18.  And  others  there  are  who  are  sown  among  thorns :  these  are  they  that 
hear  the  word, 

19.  And  the  cares  of  the  world,  and  the  deceitfulness  of  riches,  and 
the  lusts  after  other  things  entering  in  choke  the  word,  and  it  is  made 
fruitless. 

20.  And  these  are  they  who  are  sown  upon  the  good  ground,  who  hear  the 
word,  and  receive  it,  and  yield  fruit,  the  one  thirty,  another  sixty,  and  another 
a  hundred. 

21.  And  he  said  to  them :  Doth  a  candle  come  in  to  be  put  under  a  bushel, 
or  under  a  bed?  and  not  to  be  set  on  a  candlestick? 

22.  For  there  is  nothing  hid,  which  shall  not  be  made  manifest :  neither  was 
it  made  secret,  but  that  it  may  come  abroad. 

23.  If  any  man  have  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear. 

24.  And  he  said  to  them :  Take  heed  what  you  hear.  In  what  measure 
you  shall  mete,  it  shall  be  measured  to  you  again,  and  more  shall  be  given 
to  you. 

25.  For  he  that  hath,  to  him  shall  be  given :  and  he  that  hath  not,  that  also 
which  he  hath  shall  be  taken  away  from  him. 

26.  And  he  said :  So  is  the  kingdom  of  God,  as  if  a  man  should  cast  seed 
into  the  earth, 

27.  And  should  sleep,  and  rise,  night  and  day,  and  the  seed  should  spring, 
and  grow  up  whilst  he  knoweth  not. 

28.  For  the  earth  of  itself  bringeth  forth  fruit,  first  the  blade,  then  the  ear, 
afterwards  the  full  corn  in  the  ear. 

29.  And  when  the  fruit  is  brought  forth,  immediately  he  putteth  in  the 
sickle,  because  the  harvest  is  come. 

21,  22.  In  these  verses  our  Lord  tells  the  Apostles  that  the  truths 
He  is  explaining  to  them  in  private  are  nevertheless  to  be  preached 
to  the  whole  world,  in  order  that  all  who  are  well  disposed  may 
profit  by  them. 

24,  25.  Here  our  Lord  admonishes  the  Apostles,  and  all  who 
have  received  special  graces  and  favors  from  Him,  that  they  must 
be  faithful  to  the  gifts  received ;  and  that,  in  proportion  to  their 
faithfulness  and  zeal,  shall  be  their  reward  and  the  bestowal  of 
further  graces.    Cf .  on  Matthew  xxv.  20-24  >  26-30. 

26-29.  This  Parable  of  the  Seed  Growing  Secretly  is  peculiar 
to  St.  Mark.  It  is  perhaps  a  variant  of  that  of  the  Cockle  and  the 
Wheat  in  Matt.  xiii.  24-30.  Its  purpose  is  to  illustrate  the  progress 
and  fruitfulncss  in  the  Church  of  the  Gospel  preaching.  The 
seed  is  the  teaching  of  the  Gospel ;  the  sower  is  primarily  Christ, 
•who  first  promulgated  this  teaching,  and  then  left  it  to  the  Church 


212  ST.  MARK  IV,  30-37 

30.  And  he  said:  To  what  shall  we  liken  the  kingdom  of  God?  or  to  what 
parable  shall  we  compare  it? 

31.  It  is  as  a  grain  of  mustard  seed :  which  when  it  is  sown  in  the  earth,  is 
less  than  all  the  seeds  that  are  in  the  earth : 

32.  And  when  it  is  sown,  it  groweth  up,  and  becometh  greater  than  all 
herbs,  and  shooteth  out  great  branches,  so  that  the  birds  of  the  air  may  dwell 
under  the  shadow  thereof. 

SS.  And  with  many  such  parables,  he  spoke  to  them  the  word,  according  as 
they  were  able  to  hear. 

34.  And  without  parable  he  did  not  speak  unto  them ;  but  apart,  he  ex- 
plained all  things  to  his  disciples. 

35.  And  he  saith  to  them  that  day,  when  evening  was  come :  Let  us  pass 
over  to  the  other  side. 

36.  And  sending  away  the  multitude,  they  take  him  even  as  he  was  in  the 
ship :  and  there  were  other  ships  with  him. 

;i7.  And  there  arose  a  great  storm  of  wind,  and  the  waves  beat  into  the 
ship,  so  that  the  ship  was  filled. 

He  founded  and  endowed ;  and  secondarily,  the  Apostles  and  their 
successors  and  the  ministers  in  the  Church.  By  earth  is  meant 
the  hearts  and  souls  of  men  in  which  the  word  of  God  is  implanted. 
The  words  sleep,  rise,  and  he  knoweth  not,  can  refer  only  to 
the  human  ministers  of  the  Gospel,  to  whose  efforts,  however 
zealous  and  prolonged,  the  truth  and  growth  of  the  Gospel  teaching 
is  not  to  be  ascribed ;  it  is  only  God  who  gives  the  increase.  He 
who  putteth  in  the  sickle  is  none  other  than  our  Lord  coming 
at  the  end  of  the  world.  At  His  first  coming  in  the  flesh,  Christ 
sowed  in  the  world  the  Gospel  teachings  and  planted  His  Church ; 
this  done.  He  withdrew,  and  He  shall  not  return  till  the  harvest 
time,  till  the  consummation  of  all  things. 
30-32.  See  on  Matthew  xiii.  31,  32. 

34.  Without  parables  he  did  not  speak  unto  them ;  i.e.,  on  this 
and  similar  occasions,  when  speaking  of  the  foundation  of  His 
Church,  He  spoke  only  in  parables. 

35.  Let  us  pass  ...  to  the  other  side;  i.e.,  to  the  east  side  of 
the  Lake  of  Genesareth,  or  Sea  of  Galilee. 

36.  They  take  him  even  as  he  was  in  the  ship,  from  which  He 
had  been  speaking  to  the  multitude. 

37-40.  See  on  Matthew  viii.  24-27.  A  great  storm  of  wind. 
The  Sea  of  Galilee  is  subject  to  frequent  and  violent  storms,  being 
surrounded  as  it  is  with  high  hills,  rent  here  and  there  by  deep 
ravines,  through  which  the  wind  rushes  with  great  violence. 


ST.  MARK  IV,  38-40;  V,  1-8  213 

38.  And  he  was  in  the  hinder  part  of  the  ship,  sleeping  upon  a  pillow;  and 
they  awake  him,  and  say  to  him :  Master,  doth  it  not  concern  thee  that  we 
perish  ? 

39.  And  rising  up,  he  rebuked  the  wind,  and  said  to  the  sea :  Peace,  be  still. 
And  the  wind  ceased :  and  there  was  made  a  great  calm. 

40.  And  he  said  to  them:  Why  are  you  fearful?  have  you  not  faith  yet? 
And  they  feared  exceedingly :  and  they  said  one  to  another :  Who  is  this 
(thinkest  thou)  that  both  wind  and  sea  obey  him? 

So  that  the  ship  was  filled;  i.e.,  it  was  becoming  full,  or  they 
feared  it  would  be  filled. 

And  they  feared  exceedingly,  not  because  of  th$  storm,  which 
was  passed,  but  because  of  the  presence  of  Him  in  whom  such 
wonderful  power  had  been  manifested. 


CHAPTER  V 

The  Gerasene  Demoniac,  1-20. 
The  Daughter  of  Jairus,  and  the  Woman  with 
AN  Issue  of  Blood,  21-43. 

1.  And  they  came  over  the  strait  of  the  sea  into  the  country  of  the  Gerasens. 

2.  And  as  he  went  out  of  the  ship,  immediately  there  met  him  out  of  the 
monuments  a  man  with  an  unclean  spirit, 

3.  Who  had  his  dwelling  in  the  tombs,  and  no  man  now  could  bind  him, 
not  even  with  chains. 

4.  For  having  been  often  bound  with  fetters  and  chains,  he  had  burst  the 
chains,  and  broke  the  fetters  in  pieces,  and  no  one  could  tame  him. 

5.  And  he  was  always  day  and  night  in  the  monuments  and  in  the  moun- 
tains, crying  and  cutting  himself  with  stones. 

6.  And  seeing  Jesus  afar  off,  he  ran  and  adored  him. 

7.  And  crying  with  a  loud  voice,  he  said :  What  have  I  to  do  with  thee, 
Jesus  the  Son  of  the  most  high  God?  1  adjure  thee  by  God  that  thou  torment 
me  not. 

8.  For  he  said  unto  him  :  Go  out  of  the  man,  thou  unclean  spirit. 

1-7.  See  on  Matthew  viii.  28,  29.  Over  the  strait  of  the  sea; 
i.e.,  to  the  opposite  coast  (cis  to  irepav),  across  the  narrow  part  of 
the  sea. 

The  country  of  the  Gerasens,  —  a  district  called  Gergesa,  on 
the  eastern  coast  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  opposite  Caphamaum ;  it 
was  a  hilly  district  noted  for  its  tombs. 

And  adored  him;  i.e.,  the  unclean  spirit  caused  the  man  to 
fall  down  before  our  Lord,  but  not  in  a  spirit  of  adoration. 


214  ST.  MARK  V,  9-21 

g.  And  he  asked  him :  What  is  thy  name?  and  he  saith  to  him  :  My  name  is 
Legion,  for  we  are  many. 

ID.  And  he  besought  him  much,  that  he  would  not  drive  him  away  out  of 
the  country. 

11.  And  there  was  there  near  the  mountain  a  great  herd  of  swine,  feeding. 

12.  And  the  spirits  besought  him,  saying:  Send  us  into  the  swine,  that  we 
may  enter  into  them. 

13.  And  Jesus  immediately  gave  them  leave.  And  the  unclean  spirits  going 
out,  entered  into  the  swme :  and  the  herd  with  great  violence  was  carried 
headlong  into  the  sea,  being  about  two  thousand,  and  were  stifled  in  the  sea. 

14.  And  they  that  fed  them  fled,  and  told  it  in  the  city  and  in  the  fields. 
And  they  went  out  to  see  what  was  done : 

15.  And  they  came  to  Jesus,  and  they  see  him  that  was  troubled  with  the 
devil,  sitting,  clothed,  and  well  in  his  wits,  and  they  were  afraid. 

16.  And  they  that  had  seen  it,  told  them,  in  what  manner  he  had  been  dealt 
with  who  had  the  devil ;  and  concerning  the  swine. 

17.  And  they  began  to  pray  him  that  he  would  depart  from  their  coasts. 

18.  And  when  he  went  up  into  the  ship,  he  that  had  been  troubled  with  the 
devil,  began  to  beseech  him  that  he  might  be  with  him. 

19.  And  he  admitted  him  not,  but  saith  to  him :  Go  into  thy  house  to  thy 
friends,  and  tell  them  how  great  things  the  Lord  hath  done  for  thee,  and  hath 
had  mercy  on  thee. 

20.  And  he  went  his  way,  and  began  to  publish  in  Decapolis  how  great 
things  Jesus  had  done  for  him :  and  all  men  wondered. 

21.  And  when  Jesus  had  passed  again  in  the  ship  over  the  strait,  a  great 
miiltitude  assembled  together  unto  him,  and  he  was  nigh  unto  the  sea. 

Son  of  .  .  .  God,  which  was  a  confession  of  our  Lord's  Di- 
vinity on  the  part  of  the  unclean  spirit. 

9.  Legion.  A  Roman  legion  numbered  about  6000  soldiers ;  the 
term,  as  used  here,  means  an  indefinite  number.  We  need  not  sup- 
pose that  this  number  was  all  within  the  man  possessed,  but  rather 
in  the  region  of  Gergesa,  which  was  largely  inhabited  by  pagans. 
The  evil  spirit  spoke  through  the  organs  of  the  possessed  man. 

10.  Out  of  the  country.  The  evil  spirit  feared  that  he  should 
be  driven  back  to  the  torments  and  confinement  of  hell. 

11-17.    See  on  Matthew  viii.  30-34. 

19.  And  he  admitted  him  not,  because  our  Lord  did  not  want 
to  attract  too  much  attention  among  the  Jews  to  His  miracles,  for 
reasons  explained  above,  i.  34,  43. 

To  thy  friends;  i.e.,  to  thy  relatives  (vrpos  toi;s  covs). 

20.  Decapolis ;  a  district  comprising  ten  cities  east  of  the  Jordan. 
See  on  Matthew  iv.  25. 

21.  Over   the   strait,   on   His   way   back   to  Capharnaum.      He 


ST.  MARK  V,  22-33  215 

22.  And  there  cometh  one  of  the  rulers  of  the  synagogue  named  Jairus : 
and  seeing  him,  fallcth  down  at  his  feet. 

23.  And  he  besought  him  much,  saying :  My  daughter  is  at  the  point 
of  death,  come,  lay  thy  hand  upon  her,  that  she  may  be  safe,  and  may 
live. 

24.  And  he  went  with  him,  and  a  great  multitude  followed  him,  and  they 
thronged  him. 

25.  And  a  woman  who  was  under  an  issue  of  blood  twelve  years, 

26.  And  had  suflfered  many  things  from  many  physicians ;  and  had  spent  all 
that  she  had,  and  was  nothing  the  better,  but  rather  worse, 

2"].  When  she  had  heard  of  Jesus,  came  in  the  crowd  behind  him,  and 
touched  his  garment. 

28.  For  she  said :  If  I  shall  touch  but  his  garment,  I  shall  be  whole. 

29.  And  forthwith  the  fountain  of  her  blood  was  dried  up,  and  she  felt  in 
her  body  that  she  was  healed  of  the  evil. 

30.  And  immediately  Jesus  knowing  in  himself  the  virtue  that  had  pro- 
ceeded from  him,  turning  to  the  multitude,  said :  Who  hath  touched  my 
garments? 

31.  And  his  disciples  said  to  him:  Thou  seest  the  multitude  thronging  thee, 
and  sayest  thou  who  hath  touched  me? 

2,2.    And  he  looked  about  to  see  her  who  had  done  this. 

2,2,-  But  the  woman  fearing  and  trembling,  knowing  what  was  done  in  her, 
came  and  fell  down  before  him,  and  told  him  all  the  truth. 


was  nigh  unto  the  sea;  i.e.,  in  the  place  whither  He  had  retired 
after  His  trouble  with  the  Pharisees  at  Capharnaum  over  the  heal- 
ing of  the  man  with  the  withered  hand  (iii.  6,  7). 

22.  See  on  Matthew  ix.  18. 

Jairus,  —  the  presiding  elder  of  the  council  of  the  synagogue, 

23.  My  daughter  is  at  the  point  of  death.  Matthew  (ix.  18) 
says,  "  she  is  even  now  dead."  The  ruler  doubtless  made  both 
of  these  statements,  that  given  by  Matthew  after  the  statement 
given  by  Mark.  He  was  urging  our  Lord  to  come,  and  per- 
haps thinking  his  daughter  was  already  dead,  he  finally  so  ex- 
pressed himself  in  order  the  more  to  prevail  upon  the  Saviour's 
assistance. 

25.  An  issue  of  blood.    See  on  Matthew  ix.  20. 

26.  This  verse  shows  us  how  deeply  seated  and  irremediable  by 
human  means  was  the  woman's  malady ;  it  had  lasted  so  long, 
defied  the  skill  of  so  many  doctors;  had  cost  her  so  much,  and 
after  all  was  only  worse.  Faith  did  for  her  what  human  means 
could  not  do. 

27-33.    These  verses  illustrate  St.  Mark's  care  for  detail^. 


2l6  ST.  MARK  V,  34-43;  VI,  1 

34.  And  he  said  to  her :  Daughter,  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole :  go  in 
peace,  and  be  thou  whole  of  thy  disease. 

35.  While  he  was  yet  speaking,  some  come  from  the  ruler  of  the  syna- 
gogue's house,  saying :  Thy  daughter  is  dead :  why  dost  thou  trouble  the  mas- 
ter any  further? 

36.  But  Jesus  having  heard  the  word  that  was  spoken,  saith  to  the  ruler  of 
the  synagogue :  Fear  not,  only  believe. 

2,T.  And  he  admitted  not  any  man  to  follow  him,  but  Peter,  and  James,  and 
John  the  brother  of  James. 

38.  And  they  come  to  the  house  of  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue;  and  he  seeth 
a  tumult,  and  people  weeping  and  wailing  much. 

39.  And  going  in,  he  saith  to  them :  Why  make  you  this  ado,  and  weep?  the 
damsel  is  not  dead,  but  sleepeth. 

40.  And  they  laughed  him  to  scorn.  But  he  having  put  them  all  out,  taketh 
the  father  and  the  mother  of  the  damsel,  and  them  that  were  with  him,  and 
entereth  in  where  the  damsel  was  lying. 

41.  And  taking  the  damsel  by  the  hand,  he  saith  to  her :  Talitha  cumi,  which 
is,  being  interpreted :  Damsel  (I  say  to  thee)  arise. 

42.  And  immediately  the  damsel  rose  up,  and  walked :  and  she  was  twelve 
years  old :  and  they  were  astonished  with  a  great  astonishment. 

43.  And  he  charged  them  strictly  that  no  man  should  know  it :  and  com- 
manded that  something  should  be  given  her  to  eat. 

34.  Thy  faith.    See  on  Matthew  ix.  22. 

35.  Thy  daughter  is  dead,  —  just  what  Jairus  had  concluded 
when  speaking-  to  our  Lord,  as  recorded  by  St.  Matthew. 

43.  And  he  charged  them  strictly,  etc.,  for  the  reasons  given 
above,  i.  34  and  43. 


CHAPTER  VI 

Jesus  at  Nazareth,  1-6. 

The  Mission  of  the  Apostles,  7-13. 

The  Death  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  14-29. 

The  Return  of  the  Apostles,  30-33. 

The  First  Multiplication  of  the  Loaves,  34-44- 

Jesus  Walking  on  the  Waters,  45-52. 

Other  Prodigies,  53-56. 

I.  And  going  out  from  thence,  he  went  into  his  own  country;  and  his  dis- 
ciples followed  him. 

I.  Going  out  from  thence;  i.e.,  from  the  ruler's  house,  which 
was  most  likely  at  Capharnaum.  Into  his  own  country;  i.e., 
to  Nazareth. 


ST.  MARK  VI,  2-11  217 

-'.  And  when  the  sabbath  was  come,  he  began  to  teach  in  the  synagogue  • 
and  many  hearing  him  were  in  admiration  at  his  doctrine,  saying :  How  came 
this  man  by  all  these  things?  and  what  wisdom  is  this  that  is  given  to  him, 
and  such  mighty  works  as  are  wrought  by  his  hands? 

3.  Is  not  this  the  carpenter,  the  son  of  Mary,  the  brother  of  James,  and 
Joseph,  and  Jude.  and  Simon?  are  not  also  his  sisters  here  with  us?  And  they 
were  scandalized  in  regard  of  him. 

4.  And  Jesus  said  to  them  :  A  prophet  is  not  without  honour,  but  in  his 
own  country,  and  m  his  own  house,  and  among  his  own  kindred. 

5.  And  he  could  not  do  any  miracles  there,  only  that  he  cured  a  few  that 
were  sick,  laying  his  hands  upon  them. 

6.  And  he  wondered  because  of  their  unbelief,  and  he  went  through  the 
villages  round  about  teaching. 

7.  And  he  called  the  twelve ;  and  began  to  send  them  two  and  two,  and  gave 
them  power  over  unclean  spirits. 

8.  And  he  commanded  them  that  they  should  take  nothing  for  the  way,  but 
a  staff  only :  no  scrip,  no  bread,  nor  money  in  their  purse, 

9.  But  to  be  shod  with  sandals,  and  that  they  should  Iiot  put  on  two  coats 

10.  And  he  said  to  them :  Wheresoever  you  shall  enter  into  an  house  there 
abide  till  you  depart  from  that  place. 

11.  And  whosoever  shall  not  receive  you,  nor  hear  you;  going  forth  from 
thence,  shake  off  the  dust  from  your  feet  for  a  testimony  to  them. 

2.  Were  in  admiration;  i.e.,  they  were  a&tonished  (k^ewXijaaoPTo) . 
At  his  doctrine  is  not  in  the  Greek  MSS. 

3.  See  on  Matthew  xiii.  55 ;  also  xii.  46. 

4.  This  verse  expresses  a  truth  which,  in  its  measure,  is  com- 
monly realized ;  one  is  usually  appreciated  more  by  those  who  are 
not  too  well  acquainted  with  him;  but  in  our  Lord's  case  the  truth 
of  the  proverb  was  emphasized  by  the  fact  that  those  who  had 
known  Him  in  His  youth  saw  no  signs  of  the  extraordinary  things 
for  which  He  was  now  famed. 

5.  He  could  not  do  any  miracles  there;  i.e.,  He  could  do  no 
mighty  work  (Svvantv),  not  because  of  want  of  power  on  His  part, 
but  because  of  the  indispositions  of  the  unbelieving  Xazarenes. 

6.  And  he  wondered,  —  not  that  their  unbeHe^f  was  not  fore- 
known by  Him,  but  because  their  lack  of  faith  was  a  thing  mar- 
velous in  itself. 

7.  Our  Lord  now  sends  His  Apostles  on  their  first  mission.  He 
sends  them  "  two  and  two  "  in  order  that  they  may  have  companion- 
ship, and  He  renews  the  grant  of  power  which  He  had  either  given 
or  promised  to  give  them  in  iii.  15.    See  on  Matthew  x.  i,  8. 

8-1 1.    See  on  Matthew  x.  (>-i4. 


2i8  ST.  MARK  VI,  12-21 

12.  And  going  forth  they  preached  that  men  should  do  penance: 

13.  And  they  cast  out  many  devils,  and  anointed  with  oil  many  that  were 
sickj  and  healed  them. 

14.  And  king  Herod  heard,  (for  his  name  was  made  manifest,)  and  he 
said :  John  the  Baptist  is  risen  again  from  the  dead,  and  therefore  mighty 
works  shew  forth  themselves  in  him. 

15.  And  others  said  :  It  is  Elias.  But  others  said  :  It  is  a  prophet,  as  one  of 
the  prophets. 

16.  Which  Herod  hearing,  said  :  John  whom  I  beheaded,  he  is  risen  again 
from  the  dead. 

17.  For  Herod  himself  had  sent  and  apprehended  John,  and  bound  him  in 
prison  for  the  sake  of  Herodias  the  wife  of  Philip  his  brother,  because  he  had 
married  her. 

18.  For  John  said  to  Herod :  It  is  not  lawful  for  thee  to  have  thy  brother's 
wife. 

19.  Now  Herodias  laid  snares  for  him :  and  was  desirous  to  put  him  to 
death,  and  could  not. 

20.  For  Herod  feared  John,  knowing  him  to  be  a  just  and  holy  man: 
and  kept  him,  and  when  he  heard  him,  did  many  things :  and  he  heard  him 
willingly. 

21.  And  when  a  convenient  day  was  come,  Herod  made  a  supper  for  his 
birthday,  for  the  princes,  and  tribunes,  and  chief  men  of  Galilee. 

12.  That  men  should  do  penance,  as  a  preparation  for  the 
Kingdom  of  God  which  was  at  hand  (Luke  ix.  2).  The  mission 
of  the  Apostles  was  the  same  in  purpose  as  that  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist (Matthew  iii.  2). 

13.  Anointed  with  oil  many  that  were  sick.  This  anointing 
with  oil  cured  all  manner  of  diseases,  not  by  virtue  of  the  oil  itself, 
but  through  the  power  given  the  Apostles  by  our  Lord.  The 
Apostles  were  not  at  this  time  administering  the  sacrament  of 
Extreme  Unction,  which  was  instituted  later,  but  their  present 
action  of  anointing  the  sick  with  oil  was  a  foreshadowing  of  the 
sacrament  to  which  St.  James  (v.  14,  15)  refers. 

14-16.  King  Herod.    See  on  Matthew  xiv.  i. 

John  the  Baptist,  etc.  See  on  Matthew  xiv.  2.  When  Herod 
had  heard  of  the  mighty  works  (Swa/xeis)  of  the  Saviour  he  con- 
cluded that  John  the  Baptist  was  aHve  again ;  others  thought  He 
was  Elias,  because  Elias  was  expected  to  precede  the  Messiah ; 
still  others  considered  Him  to  be  one  of  the  usual  prophets  by 
whom  Israel  of  old  had  been  favored. 

17,  18.    See  on  Matthew  xiv.  3,  4. 

20.  Kept  him,  and  when  he  heard  him,  etc. ;  i.e.,  while  Herod 


ST.  MARK  VI,  22-33  219 

22.  And  when  the  daughter  of  the  same  Hcrodias  had  come  in,  and 
had  danced,  and  pleased  Herod,  and  them  that  were  at  table  with  him, 
the  king  said  to  the  damsel :  Ask  of  me  what  thou  wilt,  and  I  will  give  it 
thee. 

22,.  And  he  swore  to  her  :  Whatsoever  thou  shalt  ask  I  will  give  thee,  though 
it  be  the  half  of  my  kingdom. 

24.  Who  when  she  was  gone  out,  said  to  her  mother,  What  shall  I  ask? 
But  she  said :  The  head  of  John  the  Baptist. 

25.  And  when  she  was  come  in  immediately  with  haste  to  the  king,  she 
asked,  saying:  I  will  that  forthwith  thou  give  me  in  a  dish,  the  head  of  John 
the  Baptist. 

26.  And  the  king  was  struck  sad.  Yet  because  of  his  oath,  and  because  of 
them  that  were  with  him  at  table,  he  would  not  displease  her : 

27.  But  sending  an  executioner,  he  commanded  that  his  head  should  be 
brought  in  a  dish. 

28.  And  he  beheaded  him  in  the  prison,  and  brought  his  head  in  a  dish : 
and  gave  it  to  the  damsel,  and  the  damsel  gave  it  to  her  mother. 

29.  Which  his  disciples  hearing  came,  and  took  his  body,  and  laid  it  in  a 
tomb. 

30.  And  the  apostles  coming  together  unto  Jesus,  related  to  him  all  things 
that  they  had  done  and  taught. 

31.  And  he  said  to  them :  Come  apart  into  a  desert  place,  and  rest  a  little. 
For  there  were  many  coming  and  going :  and  they  had  not  so  much  as  time  to 
eat. 

Z2.    And  going  up  into  a  ship,  they  went  into  a  desert  place  apart. 
ZZ-    And  they  saw  them  going  away,  and  many  knew :  and  they  ran  flocking 
thither  on  foot  from  all  the  cities,  and  were  there  before  them. 


kept  John  in  prison,  he  consulted  him  on  many  things,  and  was 
much  impressed  by  his  advice. 

22.  Daughter  of  Herodias.    See  on  Matthew  xiv.  6. 

28.  And  brought  his  head,  etc.  This  could  not  have  been  during 
the  feast,  if  the  feast  was  celebrated  at  Tiberias  (verse  21),  because 
John's  prison  was  at  Machaerus,  several  days'  journey  from 
Tiberias. 

29.  His  disciples ;  i.e.,  John's  disciples ;  they  buried  him  at 
Samaria   (St.  Jerome). 

30.  And  the  apostles  coming  together  unto  Jesus;  i.e.,  on  their 
return  from  their  first  missionary  journey. 

31.  32.  They  went  into  a  desert  place,  which  was  an  uninhab- 
ited place  probably  on  the  east  shore  of  the  lake,  belonging  to  Beth- 
saida  Julias  (John  vi.  i).    See  on  Matthew  xiv.  13. 

33.  They  ran  flocking  thither;  i.e.,  the  people,  seeing  our  Lord 
and  the  disciples  crossing  over  the  lake  from  west  to  east,  hurried 


220  ST.  MARK  VI,  34-45 

34.  And  Jesus  going  out  saw  a  great  multitude :  and  he  had  compassion  on 
them,  because  they  were  as  sheep  not  having  a  shepherd,  and  he  began  to  teach 
them  many  things. 

35.  And  when  the  day  was  now  far  spent,  his  disciples  came  to  him,  saying : 
This  is  a  desert  place,  and  the  hour  is  now  past : 

36.  Send  them  away,  that  going  into  the  next  villages  and  towns,  they  may 
buy  themselves  meat  to  eat. 

37.  And  he  answering  said  to  them :  Give  you  them  to  eat.  And  they  said 
to  him :  Let  us  go  and  buy  bread  for  two  hundred  pence,  and  we  will  give  them 
to  eat. 

38.  And  he  saith  to  them  :  How  many  loaves  have  you  ?  go  and  see.  And 
when  they  knew,  they  say :  Five,  and  two  fishes. 

39.  And  he  commanded  them  that  they  should  make  them  all  sit  down  by 
companies  upon  the  green  grass. 

40.  And  they  sat  down  in  ranks,  by  hundreds  and  by  fifties. 

41.  And  when  he  had  taken  the  five  loaves,  and  the  two  fishes:  looking  up 
to  heaven,  he  blessed,  and  broke  the  loaves,  and  gave  to  his  disciples  to  set  be- 
fore them :  and  the  two  fishes  he  divided  among  them  all. 

42.  And  they  all  did  eat,  and  had  their  fill. 

43.  And  they  took  up  the  leavings,  twelve  full  baskets  of  fragments,  and 
of  the  fishes. 

44.  And  they  that  did  eat,  were  five  thousand  men. 

45.  And  immediately  he  obliged  his  disciples  to  go  up  into  the  ship,  that 
they  might  go  before  him  over  the  water  to  Bethsaida,  whilst  he  dismissed  the 
people. 

around  the  northern  part  of  the  lake  on  foot  and  were  there  before 
them. 

34.  Jesus  going  out;  i.e.,  going  out  of  the  boat,  He  saw  the  great 
multitude  who  had  arrived  at  the  spot  before  Him. 

35-37.  See  on  Matthew  xiv.  15,  16.  Two  hundred  pence;  i.e., 
two  hundred  denarii,  a  sum  equal  to  about  $34.00  in  our  money.  So 
much  at  least  would  be  necessary,  the  disciples  thought,  in  order 
that  each  person  might  have  a  little  to  eat. 

41.  He  blessed  and  broke,  etc.  See  on  Matthew  xiv.  19.  The 
bread  and  fishes  must  have  been  multiplied  in  our  Lord's  hands, 
as  He  handed  them  out  to  the  disciples. 

45.  Over  the  water  to  Bethsaida;  i.e.,  across  to  Bethsaida  of 
Galilee  on  the  north-western  shore  of  the  lake.  Bethsaida  means 
"Fishtown";  hence,  it  is  not  remarkable  that  there  should  have 
been  several  of  them  around  the  Lake  of  Genesareth.  Josephus, 
however,  speaks  only  of  Bethsaida  Julias,  in  the  vicinity  of  which 
the  multiplication  of  the  loaves  had  taken  place  See  on  Matthew 
xiv.  22. 


ST.  MARK  VI,  46-56  221 

46.  And  when  he  had  dismissed  them,  he  went  up  to  the  mountain  to  pray. 

47.  And  when  it  was  late,  the  ship  was  in  the  midst  of  the  sea,  and  himself 
alone  on  the  land. 

48.  And  seeing  them  labouring  in  rowing,  (for  the  wind  was  against 
them,)  and  about  the  fourth  watch  of  the  night,  he  cometh  to  them  walking 
upon  the  sea,  and  he  would  have  passed  by  them. 

49.  But  they  seeing  him  walking  upon  the  sea,  thought  it  was  an  apparition, 
and  they  cried  out. 

50.  For  they  all  saw  him,  and  were  troubled.  And  immediately  he  spoke 
with  them,  and  said  to  them:  Have  a  good  heart,  it  is  I,  fear  ye  not. 

51.  And  he  went  up  to  them  into  the  ship,  and  the  wind  ceased:  and  they 
were  far  more  astonished  within  themselves : 

52.  For  they  understood  not  concerning  the  loaves;  for  their  heart  was 
blinded. 

53.  And  when  they  had  passed  over,  they  came  into  the  land  of  Genesa- 
reth,  and  set  to  the  shore. 

54.  And  when  they  were  gone  out  of  the  ship,  immediately  they  knew  him : 

55.  And  running  through  that  whole  country,  they  began  to  carry  about  in 
beds  those  that  were  sick,  where  they  heard  he  was. 

56.  And  whithersoever  he  entered,  into  towns  or  into  villages  or  cities,  they 
laid  the  sick  in  the  streets,  and  besought  him  that  they  might  touch  but  the 
hem  of  his  garment :  and  as  many  as  touched  him  were  made  whole. 

46.  He  went  up  into  a  mountain  to  pray,  as  He  was  accus- 
tomed to  do  after  the  labors  of  the  day  were  over.  Cf.  Matthew 
xxvi.  36;  Mark  i.  35;  Luke  vi.  12;  ix.  18,  29. 

48.  See  on  Matthew  xiv.  25.  He  would  have  passed  by  them; 
i.e.,  He  made  it  appear  that  He  wished  to  pass  them  by ;  He  wanted 
them  to  call  Him. 

50.  Were  troubled.    See  on  Matthew  xiv.  26. 

52.  For  their  heart  was  blinded.  The  disciples  were  so  carnal 
and  human  in  their  conception  of  things  that  they  could  not  easily 
understand  or  long  remember  spiritual  benefits,  and  hence  they 
had  so  soon  forgotten  the  miraculous  multiplication  of  the  loaves. 

53.  See  on  Matthew  xiv.  34. 

54.  Immediately  they  knew  him;  i.e.,  the  people  of  Genesareth 
recognized  Him  at  once. 

56.  The  hem  of  his  garment.    See  on  Matthew  xiv.  36. 


222  ST.  MARK  VII,  1-^5 


CHAPTER  VII 

The  Pharisees  and  the  Tradition,  1-23. 

The  Syrophenician  Woman,  24-30. 

The  Healing  of  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  Man,  31-37. 

1.  And  there  assembled  together  unto  him  the  Pharisees  and  some  of  the 
scribes,  coming  from  Jerusalem. 

2.  And  when  they  had  seen  some  of  his  disciples  eat  bread  with  common, 
that  is,  with  unwashed  hands,  they  found  fault. 

3.  For  the  Pharisees,  and  all  the  Jews  eat  not  without  often  washing  their 
hands,  holding  the  tradition  of  the  ancients : 

4.  And  when  they  come  from  the  market,  unless  they  be  washed,  they  eat 
not;  and  many  other  things  there  are  that  have  been  delivered  to  them  to 
observe,  the  washing  of  cups  and  of  pots,  and  of  brazen  vessels,  and  of 
beds. 

5.  And  the  Pharisees  and  scribes  asked  him :  Why  do  not  thy  disciples  walk 
according  to  the  tradition  of  the  ancients,  but  they  eat  bread  with  common 
hands  ? 


1.  Pharisees  and  scribes,  coming  from  Jerusalem.  These  ene- 
mies of  our  Lord  were  becoming  more  and  more  inflamed  against 
Him,  and  hence  the  ablest  doctors  of  the  Law  came  from  Jerusa- 
lem to  Galilee  to  investigate  what  they  had  been  hearing  about 
Him. 

2.  Common  {Koiva)  ;  i.e.,  with  hands  legally  unclean. 

They  found  fault  {kukn^avro),  —  wanting  in  the  best  Greek 
MSS. 

3.  4.  In  these  verses  St.  Mark  explains  for  His  Roman  and 
Gentile  Christians  many  of  the  manners  and  rites  practiced  by  the 
Jews. 

The  tradition  of  the  ancients  does  not  refer  to  the  practices  of 
generations  long  past,  but  to  the  ceremonial  observances,  introduced 
shortly  before  our  Lord's  time  by  Hillel  and  Shammai,  who  were 
known  as  "  the  ancients,"  and  who  were  the  heads  of  the  two 
great  rival  schools  which  flourished  just  around  our  Lord's  birth. 
See  on  Matthew  xv.  2. 


ST.  MARK  VII,  6-16  223 

6.  But  he  answering,  said  to  them:  Well  did  Isaias  prophesy  of  you  hypo- 
crites, as  it  is  written  :  This  people  honoureth  me  with  their  lips,  but  their 
heart  is  far  from  me. 

7.  And  in  vain  do  they  worship  me,  teaching  doctrines  and  precepts  of 
men. 

8.  For  leaving  the  commandment  of  God,  you  hold  the  tradition  of 
men,  the  washings  of  pots  and  of  cups;  and  many  other  things  you  do  like  to 
these. 

9.  And  he  said  to  them  :  Well  do  you  make  void  the  commandment  of  God, 
that  you  may  keep  your  own  tradition. 

10.  For  Moses  said :  Honour  thy  father  and  thy  mother;  and  He  that  shall 
curse  father  or  mother,  dying  let  him  die. 

ir.  But  you  say:  If  a  man  shall  say  to  his  father  or  mother,  Corban, 
(which  is  a  gift,)  whatsoever  is  from  me,  shall  profit  thee. 

12.  And  further  you  suffer  him  not  to  do  any  thing  for  his  father  or 
mother, 

13.  Making  void  the  word  of  God  by  your  own  tradition,  which  you  have 
given  forth.     And  many  other  such  like  things  you  do. 

14.  And  calling  again  the  multitude  unto  him,  he  said  to  them :  Hear  ye  me 
all,  and  understand. 

15.  There  is  nothing  from  without  a  man  that  entering  into  him,  can  defile 
him.    But  the  things  which  come  from  a  man,  those  are  they  that  defile  a  man. 

16.  If  any  man  have  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear. 

6,  7.  Isaias  (xxix.  13)  was  speaking  of  the  Jews  of  his  own  time, 
but  what  he  said  was  even  more  true  of  the  Jews  of  our  Lord's 
time.  Our  Lord  here  quoted  from  the  Septuagint  version  of  Isaias, 
which  is  sHghtly  different  from  the  Hebrew,  thereby  giving  His 
sanction  to  the  former. 

g.  Well  do  you  make  void,  etc.  Well  (koXcoj);  i.e.,  *' admi- 
rably," our  Lord  was  speaking  ironically. 

10-12.    See  on  Matthew  xv.  3-6. 

Corban;  i.e.,  a  gift,  as  St.  Mark  explains  for  his  non- Jewish 
readers.  The  Pharisees  had  taught  the  people  that  any  gift  which 
had  been  offered  to  God  could  not  be  given  to  others  without 
profanation  :  and  because  they  themselves  had  a  part  in  the  profits 
of  all  gifts  offered  to  God,  they  incited  the  people  thus  to  conse- 
crate all  their  possessions  to  God.  Hence,  it  would  happen  that,  if 
the  parents  were  in  need  and  requested  anything  from  their  chil- 
dren for  their  support,  the  latter  could  say  that  all  their  possessions 
had  been  offered  to  God,  and  so  could  not  be  used  for  the  support 
of  their  parents. 

15.    See  on  Matthew  xv.  11. 


224  ST.  MARK  VII,  17-30 

17.  And  when  he  was  come  into  the  house  from  the  multitude,  his  disciples 
asked  him  the  parable. 

18.  And  he  saith  to  them:  So  are  you  also  without  knowledge?  understand 
you  not  that  every  thing  from  without,  entering  into  a  man  cannot  defile  him : 

19.  Because  it  entereth  not  into  his  heart,  but  goeth  into  the  belly,  and 
goeth  out  into  the  privy,  purging  all  meats? 

20.  But  he  said  that  the  things  which  come  out  from  a  man,  they  defile  a 
man. 

21.  For  from  within  out  of  the  heart  of  men  proceed  evil  thoughts,  adul- 
teries, fornications,  murders, 

22.  Thefts,  covetousness,  wickedness,  deceit,  lasciviousness,  an  evil  eye, 
blasphemy,  pride,  foolishness. 

2S.    All  these  evil  things  come  from  within,  and  defile  a  man. 

24.  And  rising  from  thence  he  went  into  the  coasts  of  Tyre  and  Sidon :  and 
entering  into  a  house,  he  would  that  no  man  should  know  it,  and  he  could  not 
be  hid. 

25.  For  a  woman  as  soon  as  she  heard  of  him,  whose  daughter  had  an  un- 
clean spirit,  came  in  and  fell  down  at  his  feet. 

26.  For  the  woman  was  a  Gentile,  a  Syrophenician  born.  And  she  besought 
him  that  he  would  cast  forth  the  devil  out  of  her  daughter. 

27.  Who  said  to  her :  Suffer  first  the  children  to  be  filled  :  for  it  is  not  good 
to  take  the  bread  of  the  children,  and  cast  it  to  the  dogs. 

28.  But  she  answered  and  said  to  him :  Yea,  Lord ;  for  the  whelps  also  eat 
under  the  table  of  the  crumbs  of  the  children. 

29.  And  he  said  to  her :  For  this  saying  go  thy  way,  the  devil  is  gone  out 
of  thy  daughter. 

30.  And  when  she  was  come  into  her  house,  she  found  the  girl  lying  upon 
the  bed,  and  that  the  devil  was  gone  out. 

17.  Asked  him  the  parable.  The  word  "  parable ''  here  means 
an  obscure  saying-.     See  on  Matthew  xv.  15. 

19-23.  In  these  verses  our  Lord  shows  the  disciples  in  detail  just 
what  things  defile  a  man.  The  Pharisees  were  very  solicitous  about 
external  things,  such  as  eating  with  unwashed  hands,  but  they  give 
little  attention  to  the  internal  evils  which  really  corrupt  the  heart. 

24.  And  rising  from  thence,  etc. ;  i.e.,  setting  out  from  the 
vicinity  of  Caphamaum,  our  Lord  went  to  Tyre  and  Sidon,  which 
were  seaport  cities  lying  to  the  north  of  Galilee.  See  on  Matthew 
XV.  21. 

25,  26.    See  on  Matthew  xv.  22. 

27.  Suffer  first  the  children  to  be  filled.  By  these  words  our 
Lord  wishes  to  tell  the  Gentile  woman  that  the  Gospel  is  first  to 
be  preached  to  the  Jewish  people,  who  were  by  adoption  the  chil- 
dren of  God.    See  on  Matthew  xv.  24. 

28,  29.    See  on  Matthew  xv.  2y,  28. 


ST.  MARK  VII,  31-37  225 

31.  And  again  going  out  of  the  coasts  of  Tyre,  he  came  by  Sidon  to  the  sea 
of  Galilee,  through  the  midst  of  the  coasts  of  Dccapolis. 

32.  And  they  bring  to  him  one  deaf  and  dumb ;  and  they  besought  him  that 
he  would  lay  his  hand  upon  him. 

S3.  And  taking  him  from  the  multitude  apart,  he  put  his  fingers  into  his 
ears,  and  spitting,  he  touched  his  tongue  : 

34.  And  looking  up  to  heaven,  he  groaned,  and  said  to  him :  Ephpheta, 
which  is.  Be  thou  opened. 

35.  And  immediately  his  ears  were  opened,  and  the  string  of  his  tongue 
was  loosed,  and  he  spoke  right. 

36.  And  he  charged  them  that  they  should  tell  no  man.  But  the  more  he 
charged  them,  so  much  the  more  a  great  deal  did  they  publish  it. 

37.  And  so  much  the  more  did  they  wonder,  saying:  He  hath  done  all 
things  well ;  he  hath  made  both  the  deaf  to  hear,  and  the  dumb  to  speak. 

31.    See  on  Matthew  xv.  29. 

33.  And  taking  him  from  the  multitude  apart.  This  our  Lord 
did  most  hkely  in  order  to  avoid  ostentation  and  also  to  dispose  the 
heart  of  the  patient  for  faith. 

And  spitting,  he  touched  his  tongue.  The  use  of  saliva  among 
the  Jews  was  an  ordinary  remedy  for  afflictions  of  the  eyes  and  ears. 
Of  itself  it  had  no  curative  power,  but  in  the  present  instance  it 
was  the  outward  sign  used  by  our  Lord  to  signify  the  divine  power 
which  wrought  the  cure. 

34.  He  groaned,  perhaps  in  order  to  implore  the  help  of  the 
heavenly  Father,  and  also  to  express  His  sympathy  for  His  afflicted 
patient. 

Ephpheta.  In  Hebrew,  the  fonu  is  Ethpathach,  which  is  the 
imperative  of  the  verb  pathach,  meaning,  be  opened. 


226  ST.  MARK  VIII,  1-9 


CHAPTER  VIII 

The  Second  Multiplication  of  the  Loaves,  i-io. 

A  Sign  from  Heaven,  11-13. 

The  Leaven  of  the  Pharisees,  14-21. 

The  Blind  Man  of  Bethsaida,  22-26. 

The  Confession  of  St.  Peter,  27-30. 

Jesus  Foretells  His  Passion,  31-33. 

Following  Jesus,  34-39. 

1.  In  those  days  again,  when  there  was  a  great  multitude,  and  had  nothing 
to  eat ;  calling  his  disciples  together,  he  saith  to  them : 

2.  I  have  compassion  on  the  multitude,  for  behold  they  have  now  been  with 
me  three  days,  and  have  nothing  to  eat. 

3.  And  if  I  shall  send  them  away  fasting  to  their  home,  they  will  faint  in 
the  way ;  for  some  of  them  came  from  afar  off. 

4.  And  his  disciples  answered  him  ;  From  whence  can  any  one  fill  them  here 
with  bread  in  the  wilderness? 

5.  And  he  asked  them:  How  many  loaves  have  ye?    Who  said:  Seven. 

6.  And  taking  the  seven  loaves,  giving  thanks,  he  broke,  and  gave  to  his 
disciples  for  to  set  before  them;  and  they  set  them  before  the  people. 

7.  And  they  had  a  few  little  fishes ;  and  he  blessed  them,  and  commanded 
them  to  be  set  before  them. 

8.  And  they  did  eat  and  were  filled ;  and  they  took  up  that  which  was  left 
of  the  fragments,  seven  baskets. 

9.  And  they  that  had  eaten  were  about  four  thousand ;  and  he  sent  them 
away. 

I.  In  those  days;  i.e.,  after  He  had  returned  from  Tyre  and 
Sidon  to  the  territories  of  Decapolis.  Again  has  reference  to 
the  previous  multiplication  of  the  loaves,  when  more  than  5000 
were  fed. 

4.  From  whence  can  any  one  fill  them,  etc.  It  may  at  first  be 
surprising  that,  after  the  previous  miracle  of  the  multiplication  of 
the  loaves,  the  disciples  should  put  this  question ;  but  we  must 
remember  that  their  heart  was  blinded  and  they  did  not  under- 
stand (vi.  52).  Moreover,  it  is  probable  that,  by  asking  this  ques- 
tion, the  disciples  might  have  wished  to  induce  our  Lord  to  repeat 
the  previous  miracle. 

8,  9.  See  on  Matthew  xv.  37,  38.  Four  thousand;  i.e.,  there 
were  about  four  thousand  men,  besides  women  and  children 
(Matthew  xv.  38). 


ST.  MARK  VIII,  10-21  227 

10.  And  immediately  going  up  into  a  ship  with  his  disciples,  he  came  into 
the  parts  of  Dalmanutha. 

11.  And  the  Pharisees  came  forth,  and  began  to  question  with  him,  asking 
him  a  sign  from  heaven,  tempting  him. 

12.  And  sighing  deeply  in  spirit,  he  saith :  Why  doth  this  generation  seek  a 
sign  ?    Amen,  1  say  to  you,  a  sign  shall  not  be  given  to  this  generation. 

13.  And  leaving  them,  he  went  up  again  into  the  ship,  and  passed  to  the 
other  side  of  the  water. 

14.  And  they  forgot  to  take  bread ;  and  they  had  but  one  loaf  with  them  in 
the  ship. 

15.  And  he  charged  them,  saying :  Take  heed  and  beware  of  the  leaven  of 
the  Pharisees,  and  of  the  leaven  of  Herod. 

16.  And  they  reasoned  among  themselves,  saying :  Because  we  have  no 
bread. 

17.  Which  Jesus  knowing,  saith  to  them:  Why  do  you  reason,  because  you 
have  no  bread?  do  you  not  yet  know  nor  understand?  have  you  still  your  heart 
blinded  ? 

18.  Having  eyes,  see  you  not?  and  having  ears,  hear  you  not?  neither  do 
you  remember. 

19.  When  I  broke  the  five  loaves  among  five  thousand,  how  many  baskets 
full  of  fragments  took  you  up?    They  say  to  him,  Twelve. 

20.  When  also  the  seven  loaves  among  four  thousand,  how  many  baskets  of 
fragments  took  you  up?    And  they  say  to  him.  Seven. 

21.  And  he  said  to  them :  How  do  you  not  yet  understand? 

10.  And  immediately  ...  he  came  into  the  parts  of  Dalma- 
nutha. In  Matthew  (xv.  39),  it  is  said,  "into  the  coasts  of 
Magedan.'"  The  site  of  these  places  is  not  known  for  certain  but 
it  would  seem  that  they  were  on  the  east  coast  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee ; 
tradition,  however,  places  them  on  the  west  coast,  a  few  miles  north 
of  Tiberias. 

11.  See  on  Matthew  xvi.  i.  The  Pharisees  had  no  intention  of 
believing  in  any  miracle  our  Lord  might  perform ;  they  only  wanted 
to  cast  discredit  on  the  multiplication  of  the  loaves  by  asking  now 
for  something  even  more  extraordinary,  but  which  they  knew  He 
would  not  grant. 

12.  And  sighing  deeply  in  spirit,  because  of  the  incredulity  of 
the  Pharisees. 

This  generation;  i.e.,  this  race  or  class  of  people. 

13.  To  the  other  side  of  the  water;  i.e.,  He  went  from  the 
eastern  to  the  western  shore  of  the  lake,  provided  Dalmanutha  was 
on  the  eastern  shore ;  otherwise  He  was  passing  from  west  to  east. 

15.    See  on  Matthew  xvi.  6. 
16-21.    See  on  Matthew  xvi.  7-10. 


228  ST.  MARK  VIII,  22-29 

22.  And  they  came  to  Bethsaida;  and  they  bring  to  him  a  blind  man,  and 
they  besought  him  that  he  would  touch  him. 

23.  And  taking  the  blind  man  by  the  hand,  he  led  him  out  of  the  town ;  and 
spitting  upon  his  eyes,  laying  his  hands  on  him,  he  asked  him  if  he  saw  any 
thing. 

24.  And  looking  up,  he  said :  I  see  men  as  it  were  trees,  walking. 

25.  After  that  again  he  laid  his  hands  upon  his  eyes,  and  he  began  to  see, 
and  was  restored,  so  that  he  saw  all  things  clearly. 

26.  And  he  sent  him  into  his  house,  saying :  Go  into  thy  house,  and  if  thou 
enter  into  the  town,  tell  nobody. 

27.  And  Jesus  went  out,  and  his  disciples,  into  the  towns  of  Caesarea  Phi- 
lippi.  And  in  the  way,  he  asked  his  disciples,  saying  to  them :  Whom  do  men 
say  that  1  am  ? 

28.  Who  answered  him,  saying :  John  the  Baptist ;  but  some  Elias,  and 
others  as  one  of  the  prophets. 

29.  Then  he  saith  to  them:  But  whom  do  you  say  that  I  am?  Peter  an- 
swering said  to  him  :  Thou  art  the  Christ. 

22.  And  they  came  to  Bethsaida.  This  was  Bethsaida  of  GaH- 
lee,  if  our  Lord  had  passed  from  east  to  west ;  but  Bethsaida  Julias, 
if  He  had  crossed  from  west  to  east.  "  A  bhnd  man,"  —  mentioned 
by  St.  Mark  only. 

23.  And  spitting  upon  his  eyes.    See  above  vii.  33. 

24.  I  see  men  as  it  were  trees,  walking.  His  sight  was  com- 
ing back  gradually.  The  man  could  not  have  been  blind  from  birth, 
since  he  had  an  appreciation  of  the  relative  heights  of  men  and  trees. 

25.  So  that  he  saw  all  things  clearly.  Why  our  Lord  should 
choose  to  work  this  cure  by  gradual  stages,  we  do  not  know.  Per- 
haps at  first  the  man's  faith  was  at  fault.  At  all  events,  we  know 
that  the  Saviour  at  different  times  worked  various  miracles  in 
various  ways. 

26.  Go  into  thy  house  .  .  .  tell  nobody.  Evidently  the  man  did 
not  live  at  Bethsaida,  and  our  Lord  imposed  silence  on  him  in  order 
not  to  attract  undue  attention  to  His  miracles. 

27-29.  See  on  Matthew  xvi.  13-16.  It  must  be  observed  that 
St.  Mark  wrote  his  Gospel  under  the  guidance  of  St.  Peter,  or  at 
least  in  accordance  with  the  latter's  preaching,  and  therefore  he 
omits  in  this  account,  as  in  other  similar  instances,  all  that  would 
redound  to  Peter's  praise.  Hence  there  is  no  mention  here,  as  in 
Matthew,  of  the  exalted  dignity  conferred  on  Peter  by  reason  of 
his  beautiful  confession,  "Thou  art  the  Christ,"  etc.  (Matthew 
xvi.  17,  18). 


ST.  MARK  VIII,  30-39  229 

■  30.    And  he  strictly  charged  them  that  they  should  not  tell  any  man  of  him. 

31.  And  he  began  to  teach  them,  that  the  Son  of  man  must  suffer  many 
things,  and  be  rejected  by  the  ancients  and  by  the  high  priests,  and  the  scribes, 
and  be  killed ;  and  after  three  days  rise  again. 

32.  And  he  spoke  the  word  openly.  And  Peter  taking  him,  began  to  rebuke 
him. 

23.  Who  turning  about  and  seeing  his  disciples,  threatened  Peter,  saying : 
Go  behind  me,  Satan,  because  thou  savourest  not  the  things  that  arc  of  God, 
but  that  are  of  men. 

34.  And  calling  the  multitude  together  with  his  disciples,  he  said  to  them  : 
If  any  man  will  follow  me,  let  him  deny  himself,  and  take  up  his  cross,  and 
follow  me. 

35.  For  whosoever  will  save  his  life,  shall  lose  it:  and  whosoever  shall  lose 
his  life  for  my  sake  and  the  gospel,  shall  save  it. 

36.  For  what  shall  it  profit  a  man,  if  he  gain  the  whole  world,  and  suffer 
the  loss  of  his  soul? 

37.  Or  what  shall  a  man  give  in  exchange  for  his  soul  ? 

38.  For  he  that  shall  be  ashamed  of  me,  and  of  my  words,  in  this  adulter- 
ous and  sinful  generation  :  the  Son  of  man  also  will  be  ashamed  of  him,  when 
he  shall  come  in  the  glory  of  his  Father  with  the  holy  angels. 

39.  xA.nd  he  said  to  them  :  Amen  I  say  to  you,  that  there  are  some  of  them 
that  stand  here,  who  shall  not  taste  death,  till  they  see  the  kingdom  of  God 
coming  in  power. 

30.  On  the  one  hand,  our  Lord  wished  the  people  to  learn  for 
themselves  His  Divinity  and  the  spiritual  meaning  of  His  mission ; 
and  on  the  other  hand,  He  did  not  want  His  enemies  to  be  too 
much  incited  against  Him.     Cf.  on  Matthew  xvi.  20. 

31-33.  See  on  Matthew  xvi.  21-23.  Threatened  Peter;  i.e., 
He  rebuked  him    (  kireTiyL-riaev) . 

34.  And  calling  the  multitude  together,  etc.  Our  Lord  now 
announces,  not  only  to  the  disciples,  but  also  to  the  multitude,  — 
and  through  them  to  us  all,  the  conditions  under  which  He  is  to 
be  served ;  if  any  man  would  be  His  disciple  and  faithful  follower, 
he  must  be  ready  to  renounce  himself  and  to  suffer  anything,  even 
death  itself,  if  need  be. 

35.  And  the  gospel;  i.e.,  the  doctrine  which  He  was  preaching 
and  giving  to  the  world.     See  on  Matthew  xvi.  25. 

38.  This  adulterous  and  sinful  generation.  These  words  refer 
to  the  Jewish  people,  who  having  been  espoused  to  God  under 
the  Old  Covenant,  had  become  unfaithful  to  Him,  as  an  adulterous 
wife  to  her  husband.     Cf.  Jer.  ii.  2  ff. 

39.  See  on  Matthew  xvi.  28. 


230  ST.  MARK  IX,  1-9 


CHAPTER   IX 

The  Transfiguration,  1-12. 

The  Cure  of  the  Epileptic,  13-29. 

Another  Prediction  of  the  Passion,  30,  31. 

Exhortation  to  Humility,  32-39. 

Charity,  40. 

Against  Scandal,  41-49. 

1.  And  after  six  days  Jesus  taketh  with  him  Peter  and  James  and  John,  and 
leadeth  them  up  into  an  high  mountain  apart  by  themselves,  and  was  trans- 
figured before  them. 

2.  And  his  garments  became  shining  and  exceeding  white  as  snow,  so  as  no 
fuller  upon  earth  can  make  white. 

3.  And  there  appeared  to  them  Elias  with  Moses;  and  they  were  talking 
with  Jesus. 

4.  And  Peter  answering,  said  to  Jesus  :  Rabbi,  it  is  good  for  us  to  be  here  :  and 
let  us  make  three  tabernacles,  one  for  thee,  and  one  for  Moses,  and  one'  for  Elias. 

5.  For  he  knew  not  what  he  said :  for  they  were  struck  with  fear. 

6.  And  there  was  a  cloud  overshadowing  them:  and  a  voice  came  out  of 
the  cloud,  saying :  This  is  my  most  beloved  son ;  hear  ye  him. 

7.  And  immediately  looking  about,  they  saw  no  man  any  more,  but  Jesus 
only  with  them. 

8.  And  as  they  came  down  from  the  mountain,  he  charged  them  not  to  tell 
any  man  what  things  they  had  seen,  til  the  Son  of  man  shall  be  risen  again 
from  the  dead. 

9.  And  they  kept  the  word  to  themselves;  questioning  together  what  that 
should  mean,  when  he  shail  be  risen  from  the  dead. 

I.    See  on  Matthew  xvii.  i,  2. 

3,  4.    See  on  Mstthew  xvii.  3,  4. 

5.  For  he  knew  not  what  he  said.  These  are  the  words  of  the 
EvangeHst.  Peter  misunderstood  the  purpose  of  the  Transfigura- 
tion, and  therefore  fooHshly  thought  that  the  glorious  temporal 
reign  of  the  Messiah  was  then  and  there  to  begin. 

6-8.    See  on  Matthew  xvii.  5-9, 

9.  And  they  kept  the  word  to  themselves;  i.e.,  they  maintained 
the  silence  and  secrecy  imposed  upon  them  by  our  Lord. 

Questioning  together  what  that  should  mean.  Filled  with  the 
idea  that  the  Messiah  was  about  to  inaugurate  His  glorious  tem- 
poral reign,  the  disciples  could  not  understand  this  announcement 
of  proximate  suffering,  death  and  resurrection.  They  believed, 
indeed,  in  the  general  resurrection  of  the  body,  and  they  thought 


ST.  MARK  IX,  10-18  231 

10.  And  they  asked  hiin,  saying :  Why  then  do  the  Pharisees  and  scribes 
say  that  Elias  must  come  first? 

11.  Who  answering,  said  to  them:  Ehas,  when  he  shall  come  first,  shall 
restore  all  things;  and  as  it  is  written  of  the  Son  of  man,  that  he  must  suflfcr 
many  things  and  be  despised. 

12.  But  I  say  to  you,  that  Elias  also  is  come,  (and  they  have  done  to  him 
whatsoever  they  would,)  as  it  is  written  of  him. 

13.  And  coming  to  his  disciples,  he  saw  a  great  multitude  about  them,  and 
the  scribes  disputing  with  them. 

14.  And  presently  all  the  people  seeing  Jesus,  were  astonished  and  struck 
with  fear;  and  running  to  him,  they  saluted  him. 

15.  And  he  asked  them:  What  do  you  question  about  among  you? 

16.  And  one  of  the  multitude,  answering,  said :  Master,  I  have  brought  my 
son  to  thee,  having  a  dumb  spirit, 

17.  Who,  wheresoever  he  taketh  him,  dasheth  him,  and  he  foameth,  and 
gnasheth  with  the  teeth,  and  pineth  away;  and  1  spoke  to  thy  disciples  to  cast 
him  out,  and  they  could  not. 

18.  Who  answering  them,  said  :  O  incredulous  generation,  how  long  shall 
I  be  with  you?  how  long  shall  I  suffer  you?  bring  him  unto  me. 

our  Lord  would  have  a  part  in  it,  but  they  could  not  understand 
the  resurrection  of  which  He  was  now  speaking. 

10.  See  on  Matthew  xvii.  10. 

11.  Elias  when  he  shall  come  first;  i.e.,  Elias  does  indeed  come 
first  {kXduv  ij.eu  TpoJTov)  and  restores  all  things.  The  reference  is 
to  the  coming  of  Elias  in  person  before  the  final  coming  of  Christ 
at  the  end  of  the  world.    See  on  Matthew  xvii.  11. 

And  as  it  is  written  of  the  Son  of  man,  —  more  literally,  "  but 
is  it  not  written  of  the  Son  of  Man,"  etc.?  While  the  disciples  were 
recalling  prophecies  about  Elias  and  his  coming,  our  Lord  wished 
to  direct  their  attention  to  those  other  prophecies  concerning  Him- 
self and  His  sufferings.     Cf.  Isa.  liii.  3,  4. 

12.  This  verse  refers  to  John  the  Baptist  as  the  disciples  under- 
stood (Matthew  xvii.  13).  But  it  is  nowhere  directly  prophesied 
that  John  the  Baptist  should  be  made  to  suffer  especially.  Anstver: 
Our  Lord  means  to  say  here  that  John  had  been  made  to  suffer 
things  similar  to  those  foretold  of  Elias. 

13.  And  coming  to  his  disciples;  i.e.,  to  those  disciples  who  had 
not  been  with  him  at  the  Transfiguration. 

And  the  scribes  disputing  with  them.  The  Scribes  were  ques- 
tioning and  ridiculing  the  disciples  about  their  inability  to  cast  the 
deaf  and  dumb  spirit  out  of  the  man's  son  (verse  17). 

16-18.    See  on  Matthew  xvii.  14-18. 


232  ST.  MARK  IX,  19-32 

19.  And  they  brought  him.  And  when  he  had  seen  him,  immediately  the 
spirit  troubled  him ;  and  being  thrown  down  upon  the  ground,  he  rolled  about 
foaming. 

20.  And  he  asked  his  father :  How  long  time  is  it  since  this  hath  happened 
unto  him?    But  he  said:  P>om  his  infancy: 

21.  And  oftentimes  hath  he  cast  him  into  the  fire  and  into  waters  to  de- 
stroy him.    But  if  thou  canst  do  any  thing,  help  us,  having  compassion  on  us. 

22.  And  Jesus  saith  to  him :  If  thou  canst  believe,  all  things  are  possible  to 
him  that  believeth. 

23.  And  immediately  the  father  of  the  boy  crying  out,  with  tears  said:  I  do 
believe,  Lord  :  help  my  unbelief. 

24.  And  when  Jesus  saw  the  multitude  running  together,  he  threatened  the 
unclean  spirit,  saying  to  him :  Deaf  and  dumb  spirit,  I  command  thee,  go  out 
of  him ;  and  enter  not  any  more  into  him. 

25.  And  crying  out,  and  greatly  tearing  him,  he  went  out  of  him,  and  he 
became  as  dead,  so  that  many  said :  He  is  dead. 

26.  But  Jesus  taking  him  by  the  hand,  lifted  him  up;  and  he  arose. 

27.  And  when  he  was  come  into  the  house,  his  disciples  secretly  asked  him  : 
Why  could  not  we  cast  him  out  ? 

28.  And  he  said  to  them :  This  kind  can  go  out  by  nothing,  but  by  prayer 
and  fasting. 

29.  And  departing  from  thence,  they  passed  through  Galilee,  and  he  would 
not  that  any  man  should  know  it. 

30.  And  he  taught  his  disciples,  and  said  to  them :  The  Son  of  man  shall 
be  betrayed  into  the  hands  of  men,  and  they  shall  kill  him ;  and  after  that  he 
is  killed,  he  shall  rise  again  the  third  day. 

31.  But  they  understood  not  the  word,  and  they  were  afraid  to  ask  him. 

32.  And  they  came  to  Capharnaum.  And  when  they  were  in  the  house,  he 
asked  them :  What  did  you  treat  of  in  the  way  ? 

22.  The  man's  faith  did  not  affect  our  Lord's  power  to  perform 
the  miracle,  except  as  a  disposition.  Faith  was  a  necessary  dis- 
position on  the  part  of  the  man  to  merit  a  miraculous  exercise  of 
divine  power. 

23.  Help  my  unbelief ;  i.e.,  perfect  my  faith ;  the  father  realized 
that  his  faith  was  imperfect,  and  therefore  he  appealed  to  the 
Saviour  to  perfect  it. 

24.  I  command  thee,  go  out  of  him.  Our  Lord  here  speaks  in 
His  own  name,  showing  that  He  was  God  Himself. 

28.  See  on  Matthew  xvii.  20. 

29.  Departing  from  thence;  i.e.,  going  from  the  Mount  of 
Transfiguration  they  passed  through  Galilee  on  their  way  to 
Capharnaum. 

30.  See  on  Matthew  xvii.  21.  22. 

31.  But  they  understood  not   the  word.    Again   the   disciples 


ST.  MARK  IX,  33-40  233 

33.  But  they  held  their  peace,  for  in  the  way  they  had  disputed  among 
themselves,  which  of  them  should  be  the  greatest. 

34.  And  sitting  down,  he  called  the  twelve,  and  saith  to  them:  If  any  man 
desire  to  be  first,  he  shall  be  the  last  of  all,  and  the  minister  of  all.  • 

35.  And  taking  a  child,  he  set  him  in  the  midst  of  them.  Whom  when  he 
had  embraced,  he  saith  to  them  : 

36.  Whosoever  shall  receive  one  such  child  as  this  in  my  name,  re- 
ceiveth  mc.  And  whosoever  shall  receive  me,  receiveth  not  me,  but  him  that 
sent  me. 

37.  John  answered  him,  saying :  Master,  we  saw  one  casting  out  devils  in 
thy  name,  who  foUoweth  not  us,  and  we  forbade  him. 

38.  But  Jesus  said :  Do  not  forbid  him.  For  there  is  no  man  that  doth  a 
miracle  in  my  name,  and  can  soon  speak  ill  of  me. 

39.  For  he  that  is  not  against  you,  is  for  you. 

40.  For  whosoever  shall  give  you  to  drink  a  cup  of  water  in  my  name,  be- 
cause you  belong  to  Christ :  amen  I  say  to  you,  he  shall  not  lose  his  reward. 

wore  unable  to  reconcile  the  predictions  just  uttered  by  our  Lord 
with  the  tlioughts  uppermost  in  their  minds  of  the  glorious  tem- 
poral kingdom  which  they  thought  was  about  to  be  established. 
Their  perplexity  is  the  same  as  that  mentioned  in  viii.  32 ;  ix.  9. 

33.  But  they  held  their  peace.  On  their  way  back  to  Caphar- 
naum  our  Lord  had  heard  the  disciples  wrangling  among  them- 
selves as  to  who  would  be  first  in  the  new  temporal  kingdom,  but 
when  He  asked  them  of  what  they  had  "  treated  in  the  way,"  they 
were  ashamed  to  admit  what  was  the  object  of  their  vain  ambition. 
See  on  Matthew  xviii.  i  ff. 

34.  And  sitting  down;  i.e.,  at  Caphamaum,  in  the  house  of 
Peter  (i.  29). 

35.  36.    See  on  Matthew  xviii.  3-5. 

37.  John  answered  him;  etc.  What  our  Lord  had  been  saying 
(verse  36)  had  suggested  the  remark  now  made  by  John.  Hence 
the  Evangelist  says,  "  John  answered  him."  John  thought  that  the 
one  in  question  had  been  working  miracles  without  due  authoriza- 
tion, and  ought,  therefore,  to  be  stopped. 

38.  For  there  is  no  man  that  doth  a  miracle,  etc.  By  these 
words  our  Lord  wished  to  say  that  no  man  whose  faith  has  merited 
the  gift  of  miracles  can  soon  turn  against  Him. 

39.  See  on  Matthew  xii.  30. 

40.  In  this  verse  our  Lord  is  directly  commending  the  action  of 
the  exorcist  about  whom  St.  John  had  raised  a  question,  and  His 
argument  is  this:  If  even  a  drink  of  water  gfiven  in  Mv  name  shall 


.234  ST.  MARK  IX,  41-48 

41.  And  whosoever  shall  scandalize  one  of  these  little  ones  that  believe  in 
me;  it  were  better  for  him  that  a  millstone  were  hanged  about  his  neck,  and 
he  were  cast  into  the  sea. 

42.  And  if  thy  hand  scandalize  thee,  cut  it  off :  it  is  better  for  thee  to  enter 
into  life,  maimed,  than  having  two  hands  to  go  into  hell,  into  unquenchable 
fire : 

43.  Where  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not  extinguished. 

44.  And  if  thy  foot  scandalize  thee,  cut  it  off.  It  is  better  for  thee  to  enter 
lame  into  life  everlasting,  than  having  two  feet,  to  be  cast  into  the  hell  of  un- 
quenchable fire : 

45.  Where  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not  extinguished. 

46.  And  if  thy  eye  scandalize  thee,  pluck  it  out.  It  is  better  for  thee  with 
one  eye  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God,  than  having  two  eyes  to  be  cast  into 
the  hell  of  fire  : 

47.  Where  their  worm  dieth  not,  and  the  fire  is  not  extinguished. 

48.  For  every  one  shall  be  salted  with  fire :  and  every  victim  shall  be  salted 
with  salt. 

have  its  reward,  how  much  more,  then,  the  casting  out  of  a  devil 
from  one  who  is  dear  to  Me?  (Matthew  x.  42). 

41.  Our  Lord  now  resumes  the  thread  of  His  instruction,  which 
was  interrupted  by  John's  remark  (verse  37).  See  on  Matthew 
xviii.  6. 

42.  See  on  Matthew  xviii.  8,  9.  Hell;  i.e.,  Gehenna  (yeewa), 
the  Valley  of  Hinnom  (Gcy-Hinnom),  southwest  of  Jerusalem.  It 
was  here  that  idolaters,  during  the  reign  of  wicked  kings,  used  to 
worship  Moloch,  by  casting  their  children  into  the  fire  in  his  honor. 
The  name  of  the  place  was  later  used  to  designate  the  abode  of  the 
wicked  after  death.     See  on  Matthew  v.  30. 

Into  unquenchable  fire;  i.e.,  into  the  fire  that  cannot  be  quenched 
(els  TO  irvp  TO  acr^eaTov) .  These  words  are  considered  genuine  here, 
as  being  found  in  the  best  MSS. ;  and  they  unmistakably  express 
the  reality  and  durability  of  the  fire  of  hell.  The  same  words  are 
repeated  in  verses  44  and  46,  but  are  not  to  be  found  there  in  the 
best  MSS. 

43.  Where  their  worm  dieth  not.  Some  understand  the  worm 
here  spoken  of  in  a  literal  sense,  of  insects  which  will  be  super- 
naturally  preserved  by  God  in  the  fire  of  hell  to  torment  the  souls 
of  the  damned.  It  is  more  probable,  however,  that  the  term  mean.s 
simply  the  remorse  of  conscience. 

44-46.    See  on  Matthew  xviii.  8,  9. 

48.  For  every  one  shall  be  salted  with  fire.    The  most  prob- 


ST.  MARK  IX,  49;  X,   1  235 

49.  Salt  is  good.  But  if  the  salt  become  unsavoury;  wherewith  will  you 
season  it?    Have  salt  in  you,  and  have  peace  among  you. 

able  meaning  of  these  words  is  that  the  fire  of  hell  will  possess  the 
properties  of  salt,  which  are  to  burn,  and  preserve  from  corruption. 
Thus,  by  the  power  of  God,  the  fire  of  hell  will  torture  and  preserve 
forever  unconsumed  the  souls  of  the  damned. 

And  every  victim  shall  be  salted  with  salt.  This  clause  is  want- 
ing in  the  best  MSS.  It  is  doubtless  genuine,  however.  The  allu- 
sion is  to  the  Old  Law  (Lev.  ii.  13),  which  required  every  victim 
ofifered  to  God  to  be  seasoned  with  salt.  Here,  according  to  some, 
the  words  refer  to  the  servants  of  God,  who,  in  order  to  please  Him, 
must  be  seasoned  with  the  salt  of  trial  and  tribulation.  According 
to  others,  the  reference  is  to  the  damned  who  will  be  seasoned  with 
the  salt  of  hell  fire,  as  victims  of  God's  eternal  justice. 

49.  Having  spoken  of  salt  in  the  preceding  verse,  our  Lord  now 
takes  occasion  to  admonish  the  Apostles  that  they  are  the  salt  of 
the  earth,  and  as  such,  should  give  up  vain  ambitions  and  conten- 
tious wrangling,  of  which  they  were  guilty  on  their  way  to  Caphar- 
naum,  and  which  called  forth  the  present  discourse  on  scandal. 


CHAPTER  X 

Jesus  in  Peraea,  i. 

The  Pharisees  and  Divorce,  2-12. 

Jesus  Blessing  Children,  13-16. 

The  Rich  Young  Man  and  Perfection,  17-27. 

The  Reward  of  those  who  Follow  Evangelical 

Perfection,  28-31. 
Another  Prophecy  of  the  Passion,  32-34. 
The  Sons  of  Zebedee,  35-40. 
Humility,  41-45. 
The  Blind  Man  of  Jericho,  46-52. 

I.  And  rising  up  from  thence,  he  cometh  into  the  coasts  of  Judea  beyond  the 
Jordan :  and  the  multitudes  flpck  to  him  again.  And  as  he  was  accustomed, 
he  taught  them  again. 

I.  And  rising  from  thence;  i.e.,  from  where  He  was  in  Galilee. 
The  coasts  of  Judea  beyond  the  Jordan.     An  "  and  "  should  be 


236  ST.  MARK  X,  2-20 

2.  And  the  Pharisees  coming  to  him  asked  him :  Is  it  lawful  for  a  man  to 
put  away  his  wife?  tempting  him. 

3.  But  he  answering,  saith  to  them  :  What  did  Moses  command  you? 

4.  Who  said :  Moses  permitted  to  write  a  bill  of  divorce,  and  to  put  her 
away. 

5.  To  whom  Jesus  answering,  said  :  Because  of  the  hardness  of  your  heart 
he  wrote  you  that  precept. 

6.  But  from  the  beginning  of  the  creation,  God  made  them  male  and 
female. 

7.  For  this  cause  a  man  shall  leave  his  father  and  mother ;  and  shall  cleave 
to  his  wife. 

8.  And  they  two  shall  be  in  one  flesh.  Therefore  now  they  are  not  two, 
but  one  flesh. 

9.  What  therefore  God  hath  joined  together,  let  not  man  put  asunder. 

10.  And  in  the  house  again  his  disciples  asked  him  concerning  the  same 
thing. 

11.  And  he  saith  to  them:  Whosoever  shall  put  away  his  wife  and  marry 
another,  committeth  adultery  against  her. 

12.  And  if  the  wife  shall  put  away  her  husband,  and  be  married  to  another, 
she  committeth  adultery. 

13.  And  they  brought  to  him  young  children,  that  he  might  touch  them. 
And  the  disciples  rebuked  them  that  brought  them. 

14.  Whom  when  Jesus  saw,  he  was  much  displeased,  and  saith  to 
them :  Suffer  the  little  children  to  come  unto  me,  and  forbid  them  not ;  for 
of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God. 

15.  Amen  I  say  to  you,  whosoever  shall  not  receive  the  kingdom  of  God  as 
a  little  child,  shall  not  enter  into  it. 

16.  And  embracing  them,  and  laying  his  hands  upon  them,  he  blessed 
them. 

17.  And  when  he  was  gone  forth  into  the  way,  a  certain  man  running  up  and 
kneeling  before  him,  asked  him.  Good  Master,  what  shall  I  do  that  I  may  re- 
ceive life  everlasting? 

18.  And  Jesus  said  to  him,  Why  callest  thou  me  good?  None  is  good  but 
one,  that  is  God. 

19.  Thou  knowest  the  commandments :  Do  not  commit  adultery,  do  not  kill, 
do  not  steal,  bear  not  false  witness,  do  no  fraud,  honour  thy  father  and  mother. 

20.  But  he  answering,  said  to  him :  Master,  all  these  things  I  have  observed 
from  my  youth. 

inserted  before  the  phrase  **  beyond  the  Jordan,"  according  to  the 
best  MSS. ;  there  was  probably  no  part  of  Judea  which  lay  beyond 
the  Jordan.     See  on  Matthew  xix.  i. 

2-g,    See  on  Matthew  xix.  3-9. 

In  verses  11  and  12,  our  Lord  clearly  states  that  marriage  in  His 
Church  is  altogether  indissoluble.     See  on  Matthew  xix.  9. 

13-15.    See  on  Matthew  xix.  13,  14. 

17-19.    See  on  Matthew  xix.  16-19. 


ST.  MARK  X,  21-32  237 

21.  And  Jesus  looking  on  him,  loved  him,  and  said  to  him:  One  thing  is 
wanting  unto  thee :  go,  sell  whatsoever  thou  hast,  and  give  to  the  poor,  and 
thou  shalt  have  treasure  in  heaven ;  and  come,  follow  mc. 

22.  Who  being  struck  sad  at  that  saying,  went  away  sorrowful :  for  he  had 
great  possessions. 

23.  And  Jesus  looking  round  about,  saith  to  his  disciples :  How  hardly  shall 
they  that  have  riches,  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God ! 

24.  And  the  disciples  were  astonished  at  his  words.  But  Jesus  again  an- 
swering, saith  to  them :  Children,  how  hard  is  it  for  them  that  trust  in  riches, 
to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God? 

25.  It  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  pass  through  the  eye  of  a  needle,  than  for  a 
rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 

26.  Who  wondered  the  more,  saying  among  themselves ;  Who  then  can  be 
saved  ? 

27.  And  Jesus  looking  on  them,  saith :  With  men  it  is  impossible ;  but  not 
with  God :  for  all  things  are  possible  with  God. 

28.  And  Peter  began  to  say  unto  him:  Behold,  we  have  left  all  things,  and 
have  followed  thee. 

29.  Jesus  answering,  said :  Amen  I  say  to  you,  there  is  no  man  who  hath 
left  house  or  brethren,  or  sisters,  or  father,  or  mother,  or  children,  or  lands, 
for  my  sake  and  for  the  gospel, 

30.  Who  shall  not  receive  an  hundred  times  as  much,  now  in  this  time ; 
houses,  and  brethren,  and  sisters,  and  mothers,  and  children,  and  lands,  with 
persecutions:  and  in  the  world  to  come  life  everlasting. 

31.  But  many  that  are  first,  shall  be  last :  and  the  last,  first. 

^2.  And  they  were  in  the  way  going  up  to  Jerusalem :  and  Jesus  went  before 
them,  and  they  were  astonished ;  and  following  were  afraid.  And  taking  again 
the  twelve,  he  began  to  tell  them  the  things  that  should  befall  him. 


21-24.    See  on  Matthew  xix.  21-23. 

And  the  disciples  were  astonished  at  his  words.  The  Jews 
always  had  regarded  temporal  prosperity  and  temporal  possessions 
as  a  reward  of  virtuous  living,  hence  the  Apostles  were  exceedingly 
astonished  (kdan^ovvTo)  at  our  Lord's  words. 

For  them  that  trust  in  riches,  —  not  found  in  the  best  MSS. 

25-30.  See  on  Matthew  xix.  24-29.  With  persecutions.  The 
present  verse  shows  that  the  faithful  disciple  of  Christ  will  receive 
special  temporal,  as  well  as  spiritual  and  eternal  rewards ;  but  our 
Lord  reminds  the  disciples  that,  along  with  temporal  recompenses, 
they  must  be  prepared  to  find  the  cross. 

31.  See  on  Matthew  xix.  30. 

32.  And  following  were  afraid;  i.e.,  those  who  were  following 
were  afraid  for  His  safety.  The  disciples  were  astoni.shed  at  His 
bravery.    The  Saviour  was  on  His  way  from  Peraea  to  Jerusalem 


238  ST.  MARK  X,  33-45 

S3.  Saying:  Behold  we  go  up  to  Jerusalem,  and  the  Son  of  man  shall  be  be- 
trayed to  the  chief  priests,  and  to  the  scribes  and  ancients,  and  they  shall  con- 
demn him  to  death,  and  shall  deliver  him  to  the  Gentiles. 

34.  And  they  shall  mock  him,  and  spit  on  him,  and  scourge  him,  and  kill 
him :  and  the  third  day  he  shall  rise  again. 

35.  And  James  and  John  the  sons  of  Zebedee,  come  to  him,  saying :  Mas- 
ter, we  desire  that  whatsoever  we  shall  ask,  thou  wouldst  do  it  for  us : 

36.  But  he  said  to  them:  What  would  you  that  I  should  do  for  you? 

27.  And  they  said :  Grant  to  us,  that  we  may  sit,  one  on  thy  right  hand,  and 
the  other  on  thy  left  hand,  in  thy  glory. 

38.  And  Jesus  said  to  them :  You  know  not  what  you  ask.  Can  you  drink  of 
the  chalice  that  I  drink  of :  or  be  baptized  with  the  baptism  wherewith  I  am 
baptized? 

39.  But  they  said  to  him :  We  can.  And  Jesus  saith  to  them :  You  shall  in- 
deed drink  of  the  chalice  that  I  drink  of :  and  with  the  baptism  wherewith  I  am 
baptized,  you  shall  be  baptized. 

40.  But  to  sit  on  my  right  hand,  or  on  my  left,  is  not  mine  to  give  to  you, 
but  to  them  for  whom  it  is  prepared. 

41.  And  the  ten  hearing  it,  began  to  be  much  displeased  at  James  and  John. 

42.  But  Jesus  calling  them,  saith  to  them :  You  know  that  they  who  seem  to 
rule  over  the  Gentiles,  lord  it  over  them :  and  their  princes  have  power  over 
them. 

43.  But  it  is  not  so  among  you :  but  whosoever  will  be  greater,  shall  be  your 
minister. 

44.  And  whosoever  will  be  first  among  you,  shall  be  the  servant  of  all. 

45.  For  the  Son  of  man  also  is  not  come  to  be  ministered  unto,  but  to  min- 
ister, and  to  give  his  life  a  redemption  for  many. 

for  the  last  time,  and  the  disciples,  and  those  who  followed  had 
grave  apprehensions  of  what  might  befall  Him  at  Jerusalem. 

33,  34.  Our  Lord  again  predicts  His  Passion,  for  the  third  time 
(see  viii.  31;  ix.  30),  and  describes  more  than  before  the  details 
of  His  suffering  and  death.  The  disciples  cannot  understand  it 
(Luke  xviii.  34),  and  to  comfort  their  troubled  minds,  the  Saviour 
this  time,  as  on  each  of  the  other  occasions,  announces  His  glorious 
Resurrection. 

35.  And  James  and  John  .  .  .  come  to  him,  etc. ;  i.e.,  they  asked 
the  favor  through  their  mother ;  she  made  the  request  in  their  name 
(Matthew  xx.  20). 

36-38.  See  on  Matthew  xx.  21-23.  Or  be  baptized  with  the 
baptism,  etc.  The  comparison  is  the  same  as  that  of  the  chalice ; 
our  Lord  is  directing  attention  to  His  sufferings,  in  which  He  will 
be  immersed,  as  one  baptized  is  immersed  in  the  water. 

39,  40.    See  on  Matthew  xx.  23. 

42-45.    See  on  Matthew  xx,  25-28. 


ST.  MARK  X,  46-52;  XI,  1-6  239 

46.  And  they  came  to  Jericho :  and  as  he  went  out  of  Jericho,  with  his  dis- 
ciples, and  a  very  great  multitude,  Bartimeus  the  blind  man,  the  son  of  Timeus, 
sat  by  the  way  side  begging. 

47.  Who  when  he  had  heard,  that  it  was  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  began  to  cry 
out,  and  to  say :  Jesus  son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  me. 

48.  And  many  rebuked  him,  that  he  might  hold  his  peace;  but  he  cried  a 
great  deal  the  more :  Son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  me. 

49.  And  Jesus,  standing  still,  commanded  him  to  be  called.  And  they  call 
the  blind  man,  saying  to  him :  Be  of  better  comfort :  arise,  he  calleth  thee. 

50.  Who  casting  off  his  garment  leaped  up,  and  came  to  him. 

51.  And  Jesus  answering,  said  to  him:  What  wilt  thou  that  I  should  do  to 
thee  ?    And  the  blind  man  said  to  him :  Rabboni,  that  I  may  see. 

52.  And  Jesus  saith  to  him :  Go  thy  way,  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole. 
And  immediately  he  saw,  and  followed  him  in  the  way. 

46,  47.    See  on  Matthew  xx.  29,  30. 

51.  Rabboni,  which  is  a  more  reverential  form  of  "Rabbi." 


CHAPTER  XI 

The  Triumphal  Entry  of  Jesus  into  Jerusalem, 

i-ii. 
The  Barren  Fig-tree,  12-14. 
The  Traffickers  in  the  Temple,  15-19. 
Confidence  in  God,  20-26. 
The  Question  about  John  the  Baptist,  27-33. 

1.  And  when  they  were  drawing  near  to  Jerusalem  and  to  Bethania  at  the 
mount  of  Olives,  he  sendeth  two  of  his  disciples. 

2.  And  saith  to  them :  Go  into  the  village  that  is  over  against  you,  and  im- 
mediately at  your  coming  in  thither,  you  shall  find  a  colt  tied,  upon  which  no 
man  yet  hath  sat:  loose  him,  and  bring  him. 

3.  And  if  any  man  shall  say  to  you,  What  are  you  doing?  say  ye  that  the 
Lord  hath  need  of  him :  and  immediately  he  will  let  him  come  hither. 

4.  And  going  their  way,  they  found  the  colt  tied  before  the  gate  without,  in 
the  meeting  of  two  ways :  and  they  loose  him. 

5.  .\nd  some  of  them  that  stood  there,  said  to  them  :  What  do  you  loosing 
the  colt? 

6.  Who  said  to  them  as  Jesus  had  commanded  them;  and  they  let  him  go 
with  them. 

I,  2.  See  on  Matthew  xxi.  i,  2;  Luke  xix.  29.  Upon  which  no 
man  yet  hath  sat,  because  this  colt  was  to  be  used  for  a  religiou.s 
purpose,  and  it  was  considered  irreverent  to  use  for  such  a  purpose 


240  ST.  MARK  XI,  7-17 

7.  And  they  broaght  the  colt  to  Jesus;  and  they  lay  their  garments  on  him, 
and  he  sat  upon  him. 

8.  And  many  spread  their  garments  in  the  way :  and  others  cut  down  boughs 
from  the  trees,  and  strewed  them  in  the  way. 

9.  And  they  that  went  before  and  they  that  followed,  cried,  saying:  Ho- 
sanna,  blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

ID.  Blessed  be  the  kingdom  of  our  father  David  that  cometh :  Hosanna  in 
the  highest. 

11.  And  he  entered  into  Jerusalem,  into  the  temple:  and  having  viewed  all 
things  round  about,  when  now  the  eventide  was  come,  he  went  out  to  Be- 
thania  with  the  twelve. 

12.  And  the  next  day  when  they  came  out  from  Bethania,  he  was  hungry, 

13.  And  when  he  had  seen  afar  off  a  fig  tree  having  leaves,  he  came  if  per- 
haps he  might  find  any  thing  on  it.  And  when  he  was  come  to  it,  he  found 
nothing  but  leaves.    For  it  was  not  the  time  for  figs. 

14.  And  answering  he  said  to  it :  May  no  man  hereafter  eat  fruit  of  thee 
any  more  for  ever.    And  his  disciples  heard  it. 

15.  And  they  came  to  Jerusalem.  And  when  he  was  entered  into  the  temple, 
he  began  to  cast  out  them  that  sold  and  bought  in  the  temple,  and  overthrew 
the  tables  of  the  moneychangers,  and  the  chairs  of  them  that  sold  doves. 

16.  And  he  suffered  not  that  any  man  should  carry  a  vessel  through  the 
temple ; 

17.  And  he  taught,  saying  to  them  :  Is  it  not  written.  My  house  shall  be 
called  the  house  of  prayer  to  all  nations?  But  you  have  made  it  a  den  of 
thieves. 

an  animal  which  had  been  put  to  profane  uses.  See  also  on  Matthew 
xxi.  4,  5. 

7.    See  on  Matthew  xxi.  7. 

9,  10.    See  on  Matthew  xxi.  9. 

13.  And  when  he  had  seen  afar  off  a  fig-tree  having  leaves. 
In  the  Holy  Land,  the  fruit  of  the  fig-tree  appears  before  the 
leaves,  and  therefore,  although  it  was  not  time  for  figs,  this  fig-tree 
"  having  leaves  "  gave  the  appearance  of  having  fruit  also,  which 
it  did  not  have.  In  this  way,  the  fig-tree  was  a  fitting  type  of  the 
Synagogue,  which  it  illustrated,  for  the  latter  was  profuse  in  ex- 
ternal observances  and  ceremonies  (leaves)  but  singularly  wanting 
in  the  true  religious  spirit  (fruit)  which  Almighty  God  required 
of  it. 

15.  See  on  Matthew  xxi.  12. 

16.  This  verse  shows  how  strictly  the  Temple  was  to  be  guarded 
against  secular  traffic.  According  to  Josephus  {Contra  Appionem 
ii.  7),  it  was  forbidden  to  carry  a  vessel  into  the  Temple  enclosure, 

17.  See  on  Matthew  xxi.  13. 


ST.  MARK  XI,  18-33  241 

18.  Which  when  the  chief  priests  and  the  scribes  had  heard,  they  sought  how 
they  might  destroy  him.  For  they  feared  him,  because  the  whole  multitude 
was  in  admiration  at  his  doctrine. 

19.  And  when  evening  was  come,  he  went  forth  out  of  the  city. 

20.  And  when  they  passed  by  in  the  morning  they  saw  the  fig  tree  dried  up 
from  the  roots. 

21.  And  Peter  remembering,  said  to  him:  Rabbi,  behold  the  fig  tree,  which 
thou  didst  curse,  is  withered  away. 

22.  And  Jesus  answering,  saith  to  them :  Have  the  faith  of  God. 

23.  Amen  I  say  to  you,  that  whosoever  shall  say  to  this  mountain.  Be  thou 
removed  and  be  cast  into  the  sea,  and  shall  not  stagger  in  his  heart,  but  be- 
lieve, that  whatsoever  he  saith  shall  be  done ;  it  shall  be  done  unto  him. 

24.  Therefore  I  say  unto  you,  all  things,  whatsoever  you  ask  when  ye  pray, 
believe  that  you  shall  receive ;  and  they  shall  come  unto  you. 

25.  And  when  you  shall  stand  to  pray,  forgive,  if  you  have  aught  against 
any  man ;  that  your  Father  also,  who  is  in  heaven,  may  forgive  you  your  sins. 

26.  But  if  you  will  not  forgive,  neither  will  your  Father  that  is  in  heaven, 
forgive  you  your  sins. 

2'7.  And  they  come  again  to  Jerusalem.  And  when  he  was  walking  in  the 
temple,  there  come  to  him  the  chief  priests  and  the  scribes  and  the  ancients, 

28.  And  they  say  to  him :  By  what  authority  dost  thou  these  things?  and  who 
hath  given  thee  this  authority  that  thou  shouldst  do  these  things? 

29.  And  Jesus  answering,  said  to  them :  I  will  also  ask  you  one  word,  and 
answer  you  me,  and  I  will  tell  you  by  what  authority  I  do  these  things. 

30.  The  baptism  of  John,  was  it  from  heaven,  or  from  men?    Answer  me. 

31.  But  they  thought  with  themselves,  saying:  If  we  say,  From  heaven;  he 
will  say,  Why  then  did  you  not  believe  him? 

32.  If  we  say,  From  men,  we  fear  the  people.  For  all  men  counted  John 
that  he  was  a  prophet  indeed. 

33.  And  they  answering,  say  to  Jesus  :  We  know  not.  And  Jesus  answering, 
saith  to  them  :  Neither  do  I  tell  you  by  what  authority  I  do  these  things. 

18.  The  chief  priests  and  the  s;cribes  sought  to  destroy  him, 
because  those  booths  which  our  Lord  had  overturned  were  a  source 
of  revenue  to  them. 

23.  Whosoever  shall  say  to  this  mountain.  See  on  Matthew 
xvii.  19. 

24-26.  See  on  Matthew  vii.  7-1 1.  And  when  you  shall  stand 
to  pray.  It  was  customary  among  the  Jews  often  to  pray  in  a 
standing  posture. 

27.  There  came  to  him  chief  priests  .  .  .  scribes  .  .  .  an- 
cients, —  a  deputation  from  the  Sanhedrim. 


242  ST.  MARK  XII,  1-12 


CHAPTER  XII 

The  Parable  of  the  Wicked  Husbandmen,  1-12. 

Tribute  to  Caesar,  13-17. 

The  Sadducees  and  the  Resurrection,   18-27. 

The  First  Commandment,  28-34. 

The  Messiah  the  Son  of  David,  35-37. 

The  Hypocrisy  of  the  Scribes,  38-40. 

The  Widow's  Mite,  41-44. 

1.  And  he  began  to  speak  to  them  in  parables :  A  certain  man  planted  a 
vineyard  and  made  a  hedge  about  it,  and  dug  a  place  for  the  winefat,  and  built 
a  tower,  and  let  it  to  husbandmen ;  and  went  into  a  far  country. 

2.  And  at  the  season  he  sent  to  the  husbandmen  a  servant  to  receive  of  the 
husbandmen  of  the  fruit  of  the  vineyard. 

3.  Who  having  laid  hands  on  him,  beat  him,  and  sent  him  away  empty. 

4.  And  again  he  sent  to  them  another  servant ;  and  him  they  wounded  in  the 
head,  and  used  him  reproachfully. 

5.  And  again  he  sent  another,  and  him  they  killed :  and  many  others,  of 
whom  some  thej'  beat,  and  others  they  killed. 

6.  Therefore  having  yet  one  son,  most  dear  to  him ;  he  also  sent  him  unto 
them  last  of  all,  saying :  They  will  reverence  my  son. 

7.  But  the  husbandmen  said  one  to  another:  This  is  the  heir;  come  let  us 
kill  him ;  and  the  inheritance  shall  be  ours. 

8.  And  laying  hold  on  him,  they  killed  him,  and  cast  him  out  of  the  vine- 
yard. 

9.  What  therefore  will  the  lord  of  the  vineyard  do?  He  will  come  and  de- 
stroy those  husbandmen  ;  and  will  give  the  vineyard  to  others. 

ID.  And  have  you  not  read  this  scripture,  The  stone  which  the  builders  re- 
jected, the  same  is  made  the  head  of  the  corner : 

11.  By  the  Lord  has  this  been  done,  and  it  is  wonderful  in  our  eyes. 

12.  And  they  sought  to  lay  hands  on  him,  but  they  feared  the  people.  For 
they  knew  that  he  spoke  this  parable  to  them.  And  leaving  him,  they  went 
their  way. 

1-8.  See  on  Matthew  xxi.  33-38.  He  began  to  speak  to  them 
in  parables;  i.e.,  He  began  to  speak  to  them  after  the  manner  of 
parables ;  there  is  only  one  parable  mentioned  here.  The  servants 
mentioned  in  verses  2,  4,  and  5,  represent  the  various  prophets  who, 
one  after  another,  had  been  sent  to  the  people  of  Israel,  as  Samuel, 
Nathan,  Elias,  Isaias,  Jeremias,  etc. 

9-11.    See  on  Matthew  xxi.  40-42. 

12.  And  they  sought  to  lay  hands  on  him;  i.e.,  the  priests  and 


ST.  MARK  XII,  13-28  243 

13.  /^"f  they  sent  to  him  some  of  the  Pharisees  and  of  the  Herodians;  that 
they  should  catch  him  in  his  words. 

14.  Who  coming,  say  to  him:  Master,  we  know  that  thou  art  a  true  speaker 
and  carest  not  for  any  man;  for  thou  regardest  not  the  person  of  men.  bui 
teachest  the  way  of  God  in  truth.    Is  it  lawful  to  give  tribute  to  C^sa   ;  o 
shall  we  not  give  it  ? 

15.  Who  knowing  their  wiliness,  saith  to  them:  Why  tempt  you  me?  bring 
me  a  penny  that  I  may  see  it. 

16.  And  they  brought  it  him.     And  he  saith  to  them:  Whose  is  this  image 
and  inscription  ?    They  say  to  him,  Caesar's 

thinLfh"t  ^''r   '"'.^^'■'"f'  ^^'^  t«  them:   Render  therefore  to  C^sar  the 
thing    that  are  C^sar  s,  and  to  God  the  things  that  are  God's.    And  they  mar- 

and^the'tll^r.''"''  '°  ^'"^  '''  Sadducees,  who  say  there  is  no  resurrection; 
and  ttiey  asked  him,  saying : 

l£,    Master.  Moses  wrote  u„to  us,  that  if  any  mans  brother  die,  and  leave 

a:d::is?„t:::.d'"t:h?rhr«r:"°  '""""'■ '- "-''-  -'-'^  '^^^  -^^  -^'- 

.eaJ^g'^nTissr  """  '""'  '^"'^'"  ^  '"'  *'  "''  '°°'  ^  "■'-  -"  ^''^ 

And  ,ht rhi*^:Zlr,rner."-  '"'  '''"  ^  "'"  "'"'"  '"  "'  '""  ""^  '-- 

LasTofa"ntV    '"'"  "','  "'fj'"  ■"  ''""^  "■""■"•  ""^  «'<'  "<"  '=='>■'=  i=^"'- 
i-ast  ot  all  the  woman  also  died. 

«T,.1fh"K^'/T"w'°"  ^'^^'■^fo'-^'  when  they  shall  rise  again,  whose  wife 
shall  she  be  of  them ?  for  the  seven  had  her  to  wife 

vni^tn^"''  -^rr  answering,  saith  to  them:  Do  ye  not  therefore  err,  because 
you  know  not  the  scriptures,  nor  the  power  of  God? 

25    For  when  they  shall  rise  again  from  the  dead,  they  shall  neither  marrv 
nor  be  married,  but  are  as  the  angels  in  heaven  ' 

th;Lt"VM'°"T"'"^  '^'  ^"'^  '^'''  '^''^  '''''  ^^^'"^  have  vou  not  read  in 

Abraham°L?.rV    r  7  J'^  '"''  ""''  ^^°'^^  '^  ^''"'  ^^"^^  ■  ''  --  the  God  of 
Abraham,  and  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of  Jacob? 

gre'ady^err"  "'  '''  """'  °'  ^'^  '''''  '"^  °'  '""^  ''^•"^^     ^^-  therefore  do 
28.  And  there  came  one  of  the  scribes  that  had  heard  them  reasoning  to 

^":":oiranTmr:ra;r '-'  —' ''--  -">  -^^^ '-  --^^-^ 

elders,  who  knew  that  the  parable  just  spoken  was  directed  against 
them,  sought  to  lay  hands  on  Him;  but  they  did  not,  lest  they 
should  attract  the  attention  and  incur  the  indignation  of  the  crowd 

13-17-    See  on  Matthew  xxii.  16-22. 

18-25.    See  on  Matthew  xxii.  23-30. 

26,  27.    See  on  Matthew  xxii.  ^2. 

28.  And  there  came  one  of  the  scribes,  etc.  St.  Matthew 
(xxn.  35)  says  he  was  a  doctor  of  the  Law,  and  that  he  asked  our 


244  ST.  MARK  XII,  29-38 

29.  And  Jesus  answered  him ;  The  first  commandment  of  all  is,  Hear,  O 
Israel :  the  Lord  thy  God  is  one  God. 

30.  And  thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God,  with  thy  whole  heart,  and  with 
thy  whole  soul,  and  with  thy  whole  mind,  and  with  thy  whole  strength.  This 
is  the  first  commandment. 

31.  And  the  second  is  like  to  it:  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself. 
There  is  no  other  commandment  greater  than  these. 

32.  And  the  scribe  said  to  him ;  Well,  Master,  thou  hast  said  in  truth,  that 
there  is  one  God,  and  there  is  no  other  besides  him. 

33.  And  that  he  should  be  loved  with  the  whole  heart,  and  with  the  whole 
understanding,  and  with  the  whole  soul,  and  with  the  whole  strength ;  and  to 
love  one's  neighbour  as  one's  self,  is  a  greater  thing  than  all  holocausts  and 
sacrifices. 

34.  And  Jesus  seeing  that  he  had  answered  wisely,  said  to  him :  Thou  art 
not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  God.  And  no  man  after  that  durst  ask  him  any 
question. 

35.  And  Jesus  answering,  said,  teaching  in  the  temple :  How  do  the  scribes 
say,  that  Christ  is  the  son  of  David? 

36.  For  David  himself  saith  by  the  Holy  Ghost :  The  Lord  said  to  my  Lord, 
Sit  on  my  right  hand,  until  I  make  thy  enemies  thy  footstool. 

37.  David  therefore  himself  calleth  him  Lord,  and  whence  is  he  then  his 
son?    And  a  great  multitude  heard  him  gladly. 

38.  And  he  said  to  them  in  his  doctrine :  Beware  of  the  scribes,  who  love  to 
walk  in  long  robes,  and  to  be  saluted  in  the  marketplace. 

Lord,  "  tempting  him  " ;  but  "  tempting  "  does  not  always  imply 
an  evil  motive;  often,  as  in  the  present  case,  it  simply  means  to 
"  put  one  to  a  test."  This  Scribe  was  well-intentioned,  as  appears 
from  what  follows. 

The  first  commandment;  i.e.,  the  most  important,  or  *'  greatest  " 
commandment. 

29,  30.  With  thy  whole  mind.  This  phrase  is  wanting  in  Deut. 
(vi.  5),  but  is  found  in  all  the  best  MSS.  of  St.  Mark.  See  also 
on  Matthew  xxii.  37. 

31.  See  on  Matthew  xxii.  39. 

32,  33.  Holocausts  and  sacrifices  are  good,  but  they  are  not  so 
necessary  and  pleasing  to  God  as  is  charity ;  charity  is  the  animating 
principle  of  the  spiritual  life,  without  which  all  else  is  "  as  sounding 
brass  or  a  tinkling  cymbal  "  ( i  Cor.  xiii.  i ) . 

34.  Thou  art  not  far  from  the  kingdom  of  God.  By  these  words 
the  Saviour  meant  that  the  Scribe  in  question  was  not  far  from 
understanding  and  embracing  the  entire  teaching  of  the  Gospel. 

35~37-    See  on  Matthew  xxii.  42-45. 

38.  In  his  doctrine;  i.e.,  in  His  teaching.     Our  Lord  was  about 


ST.  MARK  XII,  39-44  245 

39.  And  to  sit  in  the  first  chairs,  in  the  synagogues,  and  to  have  the  highest 
places  at  suppers : 

40.  Who  devour  the  houses  of  widows  under  the  pretence  of  long  prayer: 
these  shall  receive  greater  judgment. 

41.  And  Jesus  sitting  over  against  the  treasury,  beheld  how  the  people  cast 
money  into  the  treasury,  and  many  that  were  rich  cast  in  much. 

42.  And  there  came  a  certain  poor  widow,  and  she  cast  in  two  mites,  which 
make  a  farthing. 

43.  And  calling  his  disciples  together,  he  saith  to  them :  Amen  I  say  to  you, 
this  poor  widow  hath  cast  in  more  than  all  they  who  have  cast  into  the 
treasury. 

44.  For  all  they  did  cast  in  of  their  abundance ;  but  she  of  her  want  cast  in 
all  she  had,  even  her  whole  living. 

to  leave  the  Temple  forever,  and  He  made  His  last  words  a  scath' 
ing-  denunciation  of  the  false  and  unfaithful  leaders  of  His  people. 
39,  40.    See  on  Matthew  xxiii.  4-6. 

41.  And  Jesus  sitting  over  against  the  treasury;  i.e.,  opposite 
the  Treasury  (7afo0uXdK6ov).  This  Treasury  was  in  the  Court  of  the 
Women  within  the  Temple  proper  (vaos).  It  was  made  up  of 
thirteen  trumpet-shaped  vessels,  placed  under  the  colonnade  around 
the  Court  of  the  Women,  and  into  these  vessels  the  people  dropped 
their  offerings.     See  on  Matthew  xxi.  12. 

42.  Two  mites.  A  mite  was  the  smallest  bronze  coin  in  use, 
equal  in  value  to  half  a  qiiadrans.  The  mite,  therefore,  was  equal 
to  about  one- fourth  of  a  cent. 

43.  44.  These  verses  show  that  the  merit  of  our  actions  depends, 
not  so  much  on  what  we  do,  as  on  the  interior  dispositions  by  which 
our  actions  are  prompted. 


246  ST.  MARK  Xin,  1-6 


CHAPTER  XIII 

The  Questions  of  the  Disciples  about  the  End 
OF  the  World,  1-4. 

The  Calamities  and  Persecutions  that  the  Fol- 
lowers OF  Christ  shall  have  to  Endure  at 
all  Times  until  the  End  of  the  World,  5-13. 

The  Destruction  of  Jerusalem,  with  Cautions 
AND  Counsels  Necessary  for  that  Dreadful 
Time,  14-19. 

The  Signs  that  shall  Precede  the  End  of  the 
World  and  the  General  Judgment,  20-31. 

Exhortation  to  Vigilance,  32-37. 

1.  And  as  he  was  going  out  of  the  temple,  one  of  his  disciples  said  to  him : 
Master,  behold  what  manner  of  stones,  and  what  buildings  are  here. 

2.  And  Jesus  answering,  said  to  him :  Seest  thou  all  these  great  build- 
ings? There  shall  not  be  left  a  stone  upon  a  stone,  that  shall  not  be  thrown 
down. 

3.  And  as  he  sat  on  the  moimt  of  Olivet  over  against  the  temple,  Peter  and 
James  and  John  and  Andrew  asked  him  apart : 

4.  Tell  us,  when  shall  these  things  be?  and  what  shall  be  the  sign  when  all 
these  things  shall  begin  to  be  fulfilled? 

5.  And  Jesus  answering,  began  to  say  to  them.  Take  heed  lest  any  man  de- 
ceive you. 

6.  For  many  shall  come  in  my  name,  saying,  I  am  he ;  and  they  shall  deceive 
many. 

I,  2.  Commentators  are  not  agreed  as  to  how  the  present  chapter 
should  be  divided.  Perhaps  the  best  division  is  that  given  by 
Knabenbauer,  which  we  have  adopted  in  the  above  analysis.  See 
also  on  Matthew  xxiv.  3. 

And  as  he  was  going  out  of  the  temple.  This  was  the  final 
departure  of  our  Lord  from  the  Temple. 

The  temple.    See  on  Matthew  xxiv.  i,  2. 

3,  4.  Over  against  the  temple;  i.e.,  opposite  the  Temple.  The 
Mount  of  Olives  was  about  a  mile  east  of  Jerusalem. 

5-13.    See  on  Matthew  xxiv.  4-14. 


ST.  MARK  XIII,  7-27  247 

7.  And  when  you  shall  hear  of  wars  and  rumours  of  wars,  fear  ye  not.  For 
such  things  must  needs  be,  but  the  end  is  not  yet. 

8.  For  nation  shall  rise  against  nation,  and  kingdom  against  kingdom,  and 
there  shall  be  earthquakes  in  divers  places,  and  famines.  These  things  are  the 
beginning  of  sorrows. 

I).  But  look  to  yourselves.  For  they  shall  deliver  you  up  to  councils,  and  in 
the  synagogues  you  shall  be  beaten,  and  you  shall  stand  before  governors  and 
kings  for  my  sake,  for  a  testimony  unto  them. 

10.  And  unto  all  nations  the  gospel  must  first  be  preached. 

11.  And  when  they  shall  lead  you  and  deliver  you  up,  be  not  thoughtful  be- 
forehand what  you  shall  speak ;  but  whatsoever  shall  be  given  you  in  that  hour, 
that  speak  ye.    For  it  is  not  you  that  speak,  but  the  Holy  Ghost. 

12.  And  the  brother  shall  betray  his  brother  unto  death,  and  the  father 
his  son;  and  children  shall  rise  up  against  the  parents,  and  shall  work  their 
death. 

13.  And  you  shall  be  hated  by  all  men  for  my  name's  sake.  But  he  that 
shall  endure  unto  the  end,  he  shall  be  saved. 

14.  And  when  you  shall  see  the  abomination  of  desolation,  standing  where 
it  ought  not :  he  that  readeth  let  him  understand :  then  let  them  that  are  in 
Judea,  flee  unto  the  mountains  : 

15.  And  let  him  that  is  on  the  housetop,  not  go  down  into  the  house,  nor 
enter  therein  to  take  any  thing  out  of  the  house: 

16.  And  let  him  that  shall  be  in  the  field,  not  turn  back  to  take  up  his  gar- 
ment. 

17.  And  woe  to  them  that  are  with  child,  and  that  give  suck  in  those  days. 

18.  But  pray  ye,  that  these  things  happen  not  in  winter. 

19.  For  in  those  days  shall  be  such  tribulations,  as  were  not  from  the  be- 
ginning of  the  creation  which  God  created  until  now,  neither  shall  be. 

20.  And  unless  the  Lord  had  shortened  the  days,  no  flesh  should  be  saved : 
but  for  the  sake  of  the  elect  which  he  hath  chosen,  he  hath  shortened  the 
days. 

21.  And  then  if  any  man  shall  say  to  you,  Lo,  here  is  Christ;  lo,  he  is  here: 
do  not  believe. 

22.  For  there  will  rise  up  false  Christs  and  false  prophets,  and  they 
shall  shew  signs  and  wonders,  to  seduce  (if  it  were  possible)  even  the 
elect. 

23.  Take  you  heed  therefore ;  behold  1  have  foretold  you  all  things. 

24.  But  in  those  days,  after  that  tribulation,  the  sun  shall  be  darkened,  and 
the  moon  shall  not  give  her  light. 

25.  And  the  stars  of  heaven  shall  be  falling  down,  and  the  powers  that  are 
in  heaven,  shall  be  moved. 

26.  And  then  shall  they  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  the  clouds,  with  great 
power  and  glory. 

27.  And  then  shall  he  send  his  angels,  and  shall  gather  together  his  elect 
from  the  four  winds,  from  the  uttermost  part  of  the  earth  to  the  uttermost 
part  of  heaven. 


14-23.    See  on  Matthew  xxiv.  15-25. 
24-27.    See  on  Matthew  xxiv.  29-31. 


248  ST.  MARK  XIII,  28-37 

28.  Now  of  the  fig  tree  learn  ye  a  parable.  When  the  branch  thereof  is  now 
tender,  and  the  leaves  are  come  forth,  you  know  that  summer  is  very  near. 

29.  So  you  also  when  you  shall  see  these  things  comi^  to  pass,  know  ye  that 
it  is  very  nigh,  even  at  the  doors. 

30.  Amen,  I  say  to  you,  that  this  generation  shall  not  pass,  until  all  these 
things  be  done. 

31.  Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but  my  word  shall  not  pass  away. 

32.  But  of  that  day  or  hour  no  man  knoweth,  neither  the  angels  in  heaven, 
nor  the  Son,  but  the  Father. 

3S-  Take  ye  heed,  watch  and  pray.    For  ye  know  not  when  the  time  is. 

34.  Even  as  a  man  who  going  into  a  far  country,  left  his  house;  and  gave 
authority  to  his  servants  over  every  work,  and  commanded  the  porter  to  watch. 

35.  Watch  ye  therefore,  (for  you  know  not  when  the  lord  of  the  house 
cometh :  at  even,  or  at  midnight,  or  at  the  cock-crowing,  or  in  the  morning,) 

36.  Lest  coming  on  a  sudden,  he  find  you  sleeping. 

37.  And  what  I  say  to  you,  I  say  to  all :  Watch. 

28-32.    See  on  Matthew  xxiv.  32-36. 

33.  Take  ye  heed,  watch  and  pray.  The  Saviour,  now  coming 
to  the  close  of  His  admonitions,  again  warns  His  disciples  and 
through  them,  all  of  us,  that,  since  we  know  not  the  hour  of  His 
coming,  or  the  end  of  the  world,  our  only  safety  rests  in  vigilance 
and  prayer. 

34.  In  this  verse,  the  man  going  into  a  far  country  represents 
our  Lord,  who  will  ere  long  ascend  to  His  Father  in  Heaven ;  by 
the  house  is  meant  the  Church ;  his  servants  represent  all  the 
faithful,  and  by  the  porter  is  designated  the  Apostles,  their  suc- 
cessors, and  all  lawful  superiors  in  the  Church. 

35.  In  this  verse,  we  are  told  that  we  know  not  when  the  Saviour 
may  come  to  us  individually  at  death,  or  to  judge  the  world  in 
general.  At  even,  literally  means  between  6  and  9  o'clock  p.m.  ; 
at  midnight,  9  to  12  p.m.  ;  at  the  cock-crowing,  12  to  3  a.m.  ;  in  the 
morning,  3  to  6  a.m.  These  different  hours  express  simply  the  un- 
certainty at  what  time  or  at  what  age  of  our  life  the  coming  of  Christ 
may  occur. 


ST.  MARK  XIV,  1-9  249 


CHAPTER  XIV 

The  Conspiracy  of  the  Sanhedrim,  i,  2. 

The  Feast  and  the  Anointing  at  Bethany,  3-11. 

The  Paschal  Supper  and  the  Holy  Eucharist, 

12-26. 
The  Scandal  of  the  Disciples,  27-31. 
Jesus  in  Gethsemani,  32-42. 
Jesus  Taken  Captive,  43-52. 
Jesus  Before  the  Sanhedrim,  53-65. 
The  Denials  of  Peter,  66-72. 

1.  Now  the  feast  of  the  pasch,  and  of  the  Azymes  was  after  two  days ;  and 
the  chief  priests  and  the  scribes  sought  how  they  might  by  some  wile  lay  hold 
on  him,  and  kill  him. 

2.  But  they  said :  Not  on  the  festival  day.  lest  there  should  be  a  tumult 
among  the  people. 

3.  And  when  he  was  in  Bethania,  in  the  house  of  Simon  the  leper,  and  was 
at  meat,  there  came  a  woman  having  an  alabaster  box  of  ointment  of  precious 
spikenard :  and  breaking  the  alabaster  box,  she  poured  it  out  upon  his  head. 

4.  Now  there  were  some  that  had  indignation  within  themselves,  and  said : 
Why  was  this  waste  of  the  ointment  made? 

5.  For  this  ointment  might  have  been  sold  for  more  than  three  hundred 
pence,  and  given  to  the  poor.    And  they  murmured  against  her. 

6.  But  Jesus  said:  Let  her  alone,  why  do  you  molest  her?  She  hath 
wrought  a  good  work  upon  me. 

7.  For  the  poor  you  have  always  with  you :  and  whensoever  you  will,  you 
may  do  them  good :  but  me  you  have  not  always. 

8.  She  hath  done  what  she  could :  she  is  come  beforehand  to  anoint  my  body 
for  the  burial. 

9.  Amen,  I  say  to  you,  wheresoever  this  gospel  shall  be  preached  in  the 
whole  world,  that  also  which  she  hath  done,  shall  be  told  for  a  memorial  of 
her. 

1.  See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  2,  3. 

2.  The  festival  day.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  5. 

3.  4.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  6-8. 

5.  Three  hundred  pence;  i.e.,  three  hundred  denarii,  equal  to 
about  $50.00  in  our  money ;  it  was  a  large  sum  for  those  days.  A 
denarius  was  a  day's  pay  for  a  laborer. 

8.    See  on  INIatthew  xxvi.  12. 


250  ST.  MARK  XIV,  10-28 

10.  And  Judas  Iscariot,  one  of  the  twelve,  went  to  the  chief  priests,  to  be- 
tray him  to  them. 

11.  Who  hearing  it  were  glad;  and  they  promised  him  they  would  give  him 
money.    And  he  sought  how  he  might  conveniently  betray  him. 

12.  Now  on  the  first  day  of  the  unleavened  bread,  when  they  sacrificed  the 
pasch,  the  disciples  say  to  him :  Whither  wilt  thou  that  we  go,  and  prepare  for 
thee  to  eat  the  pasch  ? 

13.  And  he  sendeth  two  of  his  disciples,  and  saith  to  them :  Go  ye  into  the 
city;  and  there  shall  meet  you  a  man  carrying  a  pitcher  of  water,  follow  him; 

14.  And  whithersoever  he  shall  go  in,  say  to  the  master  of  the  house.  The 
master  saith.  Where  is  my  refectory,  where  I  may  eat  the  pasch  with  my 
disciples? 

15.  And  he  will  shew  you  a  large  dining  room  furnished ;  and  there  prepare 
ye  for  us. 

16.  And  his  disciples  went  their  way,  and  came  into  the  city ;  and  they  found 
as  he  had  told  them,  and  they  prepared  the  pasch. 

17.  And  when  evening  was  come,  he  cometh  with  the  twelve. 

18.  And  when  they  were  at  table  and  eating,  Jesus  saith:  Amen  I  say  to 
you,  one  of  you  that  eateth  with  me  shall  betray  me. 

19.  But  they  began  to  be  sorrowful,  and  to  say  to  him  one  by  one :  Is  it  I  ? 

20.  Who  saith  to  them :  One  of  the  twelve,  who  dippeth  with  me  his  hand 
in  the  dish. 

21.  And  the  Son  of  man  indeed  goeth,  as  it  is  written  of  him :  but  woe  to 
that  man  by  whom  the  Son  of  man  shall  be  betrayed.  It  were  better  for  him, 
if  that  man  had  not  been  born. 

22.  And  whilst  they  were  eating,  Jesus  took  bread ;  and  blessing,  broke,  and 
gave  to  them,  and  said :  Take  ye.    This  is  my  body. 

23.  And  having  taken  the  chalice,  giving  thanks,  he  gave  it  to  them.  And 
they  all  drank  of  it. 

24.  And  he  said  to  them  :  This  is  my  blood  of  the  new  testament,  which  shall 
be  shed  for  many. 

25.  Amen  T  say  to  you,  that  I  will  drink  no  more  of  the  fruit  of  the  vine, 
until  that  day  when  I  shall  drink  it  new  in  the  kingdom  of  God. 

26.  And  when  they  had  said  an  hymn, they  went  forth  to  the  mount  of  Olives. 

27.  And  Jesus  saith  to  them  :  You  will  all  be  scandalized  in  my  regard  this 
night;  for  it  is  written,  I  will  strike  the  shepherd,  and  the  sheep  shall  be 
dispersed. 

28.  But  after  I  shall  be  risen  again,  I  will  go  before  you  into  Galilee. 

10.  See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  14. 

11.  See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  15. 
12-14.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  17,  18. 

15,  A  large   dining   room,  —  rather  an   "upper   room/'   or   "a. 
room  on  the  upper  floor  "'  {avayaiov). 
16-18.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  19-21. 
20,  21.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  23,  24. 
22-28.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  26-32. 


ST.  MARK  XIV,  29-47  251 

29.  But  Peter  saith  to  him :  Although  all  shall  be  scandalized  in  thee,  yet 
not  I. 

30.  And  Jesus  saith  to  him :  Amen  I  say  to  thee,  to-day,  even  in  this  night, 
before  the  cock  crow  twice,  thou  shalt  deny  me  thrice. 

31.  But  he  spoke  the  more  vehemently :  Although  I  should  die  together  with 
thee,  I  will  not  deny  thee.    And  in  like  manner  also  said  they  all. 

32.  And  they  came  to  a  farm  called  Gethsemani.  And  he  saith  to  his  dis- 
ciples :  Sit  you  here,  while  I  pray. 

S3.  And  he  taketh  Peter  and  James  and  John  with  him ;  and  he  began  to 
fear  and  to  be  heavy. 

34.  And  he  saith  to  them  :  My  soul  is  sorrowful  even  unto  death;  stay  you 
here,  and  watch. 

35.  And  when  he  was  gone  forward  a  little,  he  fell  flat  on  the  ground ;  and 
he  prayed,  that  if  it  might  be,  the  hour  might  pass  from  him. 

36.  And  he  saith :  Abba,  Father,  all  things  are  possible  to  thee :  remove  this 
chalice  from  me ;  but  not  what  I  will,  but  what  thou  wilt. 

37.  And  he  cometh,  and  findeth  them  sleeping.  And  he  saith  to  Peter : 
Simon,  sleepest  thou?  couldst  thou  not  watch  one  hour? 

38.  Watch  ye,  and  pray  that  you  enter  not  into  temptation.  The  spirit  in- 
deed is  willing,  but  the  flesh  is  weak. 

39.  And  going*away  again,  he  prayed,  saying  the  same  words. 

40.  And  when  he  returned,  he  found  them  again  asleep,  (for  their  eyes  were 
heavy.)  and  they  knew  not  what  to  answer  him. 

41.  And  he  cometh  the  third  time,  and  saith  to  them  :  Sleep  ye  now,  and 
take  your  rest.  It  is  enough :  the  hour  is  come ;  behold  the  Son  of  man  shall 
be  betrayed  into  the  hands  of  sinners. 

42.  Rise  up,  let  us  go.    Behold,  he  that  will  betray  me  is  at  hand. 

43.  And  while  he  was  yet  speaking,  cometh  Judas  Iscariot,  one  of  the 
twelve :  and  with  him  a  great  multitude  with  swords  and  staves,  from  the  chief 
priests  and  the  scribes  and  the  ancients. 

44.  And  he  that  betrayed  him,  had  given  them  a  sign,  saying:  Whom- 
soever I  shall  kiss,  that  is  he ;  lay  hold  on  him,  and  lead  him  away 
carefully. 

45.  And  when  he  was  come,  immediately  going  up  to  him,  he  saith :  Hail, 
Rabbi ;  and  he  kissed  him. 

46.  But  they  laid  hands  on  him,  and  held  him. 

47.  And  one  of  them  that  stood  by,  drawing  a  sword,  struck  a  servant  of 
the  chief  priest,  and  cut  oflf  his  ear. 

30.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  34. 
32-35.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  36-39. 

36.  Abba,  Father.  "  Abba  "  is  the  Aramaic  word  for  "  father  " ; 
it  is  the  word  which  our  Lord  Himself  used,  and  St.  Mark,  in  re- 
peating it,  adds  the  Greek  equivalent  for  his  Gentile  readers. 

37,  38.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  40,  41. 
40-43.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  44-47. 
47.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  51. 


252  ST.  MARK  XIV,  48-67 

48.  And  Jesus  answering,  said  to  them ;  Are  you  come  out  as  to  a  robber, 
with  swords  and  staves  to  apprehend  me? 

49.  I  was  daily  with  you  in  the  temple  teaching,  and  you  did  not  lay  hands 
on  me.    But  that  the  scriptures  may  be  fulfilled. 

50.  Then  his  disciples  leaving  him,  all  fled  away. 

51.  And  a  certain  young  man  followed  him,  having  a  linen  cloth  cast  about 
his  naked  body ;  and  they  laid  hold  on  him. 

52.  But  he,  casting  off  the  linen  cloth,  fled  from  them  naked. 

53.  And  they  brought  Jesus  to  the  high  priest;  and  all  the  priests  and  the 
scribes  and  the  ancients  assembled  together. 

54.  And  Peter  followed  him  afar  off,  even  into  the  court  of  the  high  priest; 
and  he  sat  with  the  servants  at  the  fire,  and  warmed  himself. 

55.  And  the  chief  priests  and  all  the  council  sought  for  evidence  against 
Jesus,  that  they  might  put  him  to  death,  and  found  none. 

56.  For  many  bore  false  witness  against  him,  and  their  evidences  were  not 
agreeing. 

57.  And  some  rising  up,  bore  false  witness  against  him,  saying : 

58.  We  heard  him  say,  I  will  destroy  this  temple  made  with  hands,  and 
within  three  days  I  will  build  another  not  made  with  hands. 

59.  And  their  witness  did  not  agree. 

60.  And  the  high  priest  rising  up  in  the  midst,  asked  Jesus,  saying :  Answer- 
est  thou  nothing  to  the  things  that  are  laid  to  thy  charge  by  these  men? 

61.  But  he  held  his  peace,  and  answered  nothing.  Again  the  high  priest 
asked  him,  and  said  to  him  :  Art  thou  the  Christ  the  Son  of  the  blessed  God? 

62.  And  Jesus  said  to  him  :  I  am.  And  you  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  sitting 
on  the  right  hand  of  the  power  of  God,  and  coming  with  the  clouds  of  heaven. 

63.  Then  the  high  priest  rending  his  garments,  saith :  What  need  we  any 
further  witnesses? 

64.  You  have  heard  the  blasphemy.  What  think  you  ?  Who  all  condemned 
him  to  be  guilty  of  death. 

65.  And  some  began  to  spit  on  him,  and  to  cover  his  face,  and  to  buffet  him, 
and  to  say  unto  him :  Prophesy :  and  the  servants  struck  him  with  the  palms  of 
their  hands. 

66.  Now  when  Peter  was  in  the  court  below,  there  cometh  one  of  the  maid- 
servants of  the  high  priest. 

67.  And  when  she  had  seen  Peter  warming  himself,  looking  on  him  she 
saith :  Thou  also  wast  with  Jesus  of  Nazareth. 

48-50.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  55,  56. 

51.  And  a  certain  young  man,  who,  according  to  many,  was 
St.  Mark  himself ;  according  to  others,  he  was  the  owner  or  keeper 
of  the  Garden  of  Gethsemani. 

Having  a  linen  cloth  cast  about  his  naked  body,  which  shows 
that,  whoever  he  was,  he  must  have  hurriedly  risen  from  bed  in 
order  to  follow  the  Saviour. 

53-58.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  57-61. 

60-72.    See  on   Matthew  xxvi.  62-75. 


ST.  MARK  XIV,  68-72;  XV,   1-10  253 

68.  But  he  denied,  saying :  I  neither  know  nor  understand  what  thou  sayest. 
And  he  went  forth  before  the  court ;  and  the  cock  crew. 

69.  And  again  a  maidservant  seeing  him,  began  to  say  to  the  standers  by : 
This  is  one  of  them. 

70.  But  he  denied  again.  And  after  a  while  they  that  stood  by  said  again 
to  Peter :  Surely  thou  art  one  of  them ;  for  thou  art  also  a  Galilean. 

71.  But  he  began  to  curse  and  to  swear,  saying;  I  know  not  this  man  of 
whom  you  speak. 

72.  And  immediately  the  cock  crew  again.  And  Peter  remembered  the  word 
that  Jesus  had  said  unto  him :  Before  the  cock  crow  twice,  thou  shalt  thrice 
deny  me.    And  he  began  to  weep. 


CHAPTER  XV 

Jesus  BeforI":  Pilate,  1-15. 

Jesus  Mocked  by  the  Soldiers,  16-19. 

The  Way  of  the  Cross,  the  Crucifixion,  and  the 

Death  of  Jesus,  20-41, 
Jesus  is  Buried,  42-47. 

1.  And  straightway  in  the  morning,  the  chief  priests  holding  a  consultation 
with  the  ancients  and  the  scribes  and  the  whole  council,  binding  Jesus,  led  him 
away,  and  delivered  him  to  Pilate. 

2.  And  Pilate  asked  him  :  Art  thou  the  king  of  the  Jews?  But  he  answer- 
ing, saith  to  him  :  Thou  sayest  it. 

3.  And  the  chief  priests  accused  him  in  many  things. 

4.  And  Pilate  again  asked  him,  saying:  Answerest  thou  nothing?  behold  in 
how  many  things  they  accuse  thee. 

5.  But  Jesus  still  answered  nothing ;  so  that  Pilate  wondered. 

6.  Now  on  the  festival  day  he  was  wont  to  release  unto  them  one  of  the 
prisoners,  whomsoever  they  demanded. 

7.  And  there  was  one  called  Barabbas,  who  w-as  put  in  prison  with  some 
seditious  men,  who  in  the  sedition  had  committed  murder. 

8.  And  when  the  multitude  was  come  up,  they  began  to  desire  that  he 
would  do.  as  he  had  ever  done  unto  them. 

9.  And  Pilate  answered  them,  and  said  :  Will  you  that  1  release  to  you  the 
king  of  the  Jews? 

10.  For  he  knew  that  the  chief  priests  had  delivered  him  up  out  of  envy. 

I.    See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  i,  2. 

4.    See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  11. 

6,  7.    See  on  Matthew  x.xvii.  15,  16. 


254  ST.  MARK  XV,  11-24 

11.  But  the  chief  priests  moved  the  people,  that  he  should  rather  release 
Barabbas  to  them. 

12.  And  Pilate  again  answering,  saith  to  them :  What  will  you  then  that  I 
do  to  the  king  of  the  Jews? 

13.  But  they  again  cried  out :  Crucify  him. 

14.  And  Pilate  saith  to  them:  Why,  what  evil  hath  he  done?  But  they 
cried  out  the  more :  Crucify  him. 

15.  And  so  Pilate  being  willing  to  satisfy  the  people,  released  to  them 
Barabbas,  and  delivered  up  Jesus,  when  he  had  scourged  him,  to  be  crucified. 

16.  And  the  soldiers  led  him  away  into  the  court  of  the  palace,  and  they 
called  together  the  whole  band  : 

17.  And  they  clothe  him  with  purple,  and  platting  a  crown  of  thorns,  they 
put  it  upon  him. 

18.  And  they  began  to  salute  him :  Hail,  king  of  the  Jews. 

19.  And  they  struck  his  head  with  a  reed :  and  they  did  spit  on  him.  And 
bowing  their  knees,  they  adored  him. 

20.  And  after  they  had  mocked  him,  they  took  off  the  purple  from  him,  and 
put  his  own  garments  on  him,  and  they  led  him  out  to  crucify  him. 

21.  And  they  forced  one  Simon  a  Cyrenian  who  passed  by,  coming  out  of 
the  country,  the  father  of  Alexander  and  of  Rufus,  to  take  up  his  cross. 

22.  And  they  bring  him  into  the  place  called  Golgotha,  which  being  inter- 
preted is,  The  place  of  Calvary. 

23.  And  they  gave  him  to  drink  wine  mingled  with  myrrh;  but  he  took  it 
not. 

24.  And  crucifying  him,  divided  his  garments,  casting  lots  upon  them, 
what  every  man  should  take. 

11-14.  Crucifixion  was  not  properly  a  Jewish  punishment,  and 
among  Romans  it  was  inflicted  only  on  slaves  and  malefactors  of 
the  worst  kind.  Pilate,  therefore,  since  he  could  find  no  fault  in 
our  Lord,  wondered  exceedingly  that  the  Jews  should  be  demand- 
ing that  He  be  crucified. 

15.  Pilate  against  his  own  conscience  (Matthew  xxvii.  24),  out 
of  fear  lest  the  Jews  should  accuse  him  of  neglect  of  duty  to  Rome, 
delivered  our  Lord  to  be  scourged.  The  Uagellum  was  a  whip  with 
three  thongs  of  leather,  knotted  with  sharp-edged  pieces  of  bone 
or  leather  so  as  to  cut  the  flesh.  Roman  scourging  was,  therefore, 
a  most  cruel  kind  of  punishment  —  so  cruel  as  often  to  cause  death 
while  being  inflicted. 

16-18.    See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  27-29. 

21.  Coming  out  of  the  country.  These  words  are  used  as  an 
argument  to  prove  that  the  day  of  our  Lord's  crucifixion  was  the 
day  before  the  Pasch,  as  otherwise  Simon  would  not  have  been 
coming  from  the  field.     See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  32. 

22-24.    See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  33-35- 


ST.  MARK  XV,  25-41  255 

25.  And  it  was  the  third  hour,  and  they  crucified  him. 

26.  And  the  inscription  of  his  cause  was  written  over:  The  King  of  the 
Jews. 

27.  And  with  him  they  crucify  two  thieves;  the  one  on  his  right  hand,  and 
the  other  on  his  left. 

28.  And  the  scripture  was  fulfilled,  which  saith :  And  with  the  wicked  he 
was  reputed. 

29.  And  they  that  passed  by  blasphemed  him,  wagging  their  heads,  and 
saying:  Vah,  thou  that  destroyest  the  temple  of  God,  and  in  three  days  buildest 
it  up  again  ; 

30.  Save  thyself,  coming  down  from  the  cross. 

31.  In  like  manner  also  the  chief  priests  mocking,  said  with  the  scribes  one 
to  another:  He  saved  others;  himself  he  cannot  save. 

S2.  Let  Christ  the  king  of  Israel  come  down  now  from  the  cross,  that 
we  may  see  and  believe.  And  they  that  were  crucified  with  him  reviled 
him. 

33.  And  when  the  sixth  hour  was  come,  there  was  darkness  over  the  whole 
earth  until  the  ninth  hour. 

34.  And  at  the  ninth  hour,  Jesus  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice,  saying :  Eloi, 
Eloi,  lamma  sabacthani  ?  Which  is,  being  interpreted,  My  God,  my  God,  why 
hast  thou  forsaken  me? 

35.  And  some  of  the  standers  by  hearing,  said :  Behold  he  calleth  Elias. 

36.  And  one  running  and  filling  a  sponge  with  vinegar,  and  putting  it  upon 
a  reed,  gave  him  to  drink,  saying:  Stay,  let  us  see  if  Elias  come  to  take  him 
down. 

37.  And  Jesus  having  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice,  gave  up  the  ghost. 

38.  And  the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  two,  from  the  top  to  the  bottom. 

39.  And  the  centurion  who  stood  over  against  him,  seeing  that  crying  out  in 
this  manner  he  had  given  up  the  ghost,  said :  Indeed  this  man  was  the  son  of 
God. 

40.  And  there  were  also  women  looking  on  afar  off :  among  whom  was 
Mary  Magdalen,  and  Mary  the  mother  of  James  the  less  and  of  Joseph,  and 
Salome : 

41.  Who  also  when  he  w-as  in  Galilee  followed  him,  and  ministered  to  him, 
and  many  other  women  that  came  up  with  him  to  Jerusalem. 


25.  And  it  was  about  the  third  hour.  St.  John  says  it  was 
about  the  "  sixtli  hour  "' ;  but  the  two  Evangelists  wished  to  say, 
roughly,  that  it  was  along  in  the  forenoon  that  our  Lord  was  deliv- 
ered by  Pilate  to  be  crucified.  In  those  days  people  were  accustomed 
to  speak  somewhat  inaccurately  regarding  time.  For  further  ex- 
planation, see  on  Matthew  xxvii.  45. 

26-28.  Sec  on  Matthew  xxvii.  37,  38.  Verse  28  here  is  not 
found  in  the  best  MSS 

31-38.    See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  41-51. 

39-41.    See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  54-56. 


256  ST.  MARK  XV,  42-47;  XVI,  1 

42.  And  when  evening  was  now  come,  (because  it  was  the  Paraeceve,  that 
is,  the  day  before  the  sabbath,) 

43.  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  a  noble  counsellor,  who  was  also  himself  looking 
for  the  kingdom  of  God,  came  and  went  in  boldly  to  Pilate,  and  begged  the 
body  of  Jesus. 

44.  But  Pilate  wondered  that  he  should  be  already  dead.  And  sending  for 
the  centurion,  he  asked  him  if  he  were  already  dead. 

45.  And  when  he  had  understood  it  by  the  centurion,  he  gave  the  body  to 
Joseph. 

46.  And  Joseph  buying  fine  linen,  and  taking  him  down,  wrapped  him  up  in 
the  fine  linen,  and  laid  him  in  a  sepulchre  which  was  hewed  out  of  a  rock. 
And  he  rolled  a  stone  to  the  door  of  the  sepulchre. 

47.  And  Mary  Magdalen,  and  Mary  the  mother  of  Joseph,  beheld  where  he 
was  laid. 

42.  And  when  evening  was  now  come;  i.e.,  when  it  was  getting 
near  sunset,  the  beginning  of  the  Sabbath.  It  was  not  permitted 
that  a  dead  body  should  be  left  on  a  cross  during  the  Sabbath. 

43.  Counsellor;  i.e.,  a  Sanhedrist,  a  lawyer  (^ovXevrrfs) . 
"  Arimathea."     See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  57. 

44.  But  Pilate  wondered,  etc.,  because  victiins,  who  were  cruci- 
fied, usually  lived  for  several  days  upon  the  cross. 

46,  47.    See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  59-61. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

The  Resurrection  of  Jesus,  1-8. 
Jesus  Appears  to  the  Holy  Women  and  the  Dis- 
ciples, 9-18. 
The  Ascension  of  Jesus,  19,  20. 

I.  And  when  the  sabbath  was  past,  Mary  Magdalen,  and  Mary  the  mother 
of  James,  and  Salome,  bought  sweet  spices,  that  coming,  they  might  anoint 
Jesus. 

I.  And  when  the  sabbath  was  past,  etc. ;  i.e.,  Saturday  evening, 
after  sunset,  the  holy  women  immediately  purchased  sweet  oint- 
ments, that,  coming  early  the  next  morn,  they  might  embalm  the 
body  of  Jesus.  According  to  custom,  the  embalming  process  con- 
sisted first,   in   washing  the  dead  body,   then   in  anointing  it   with 


ST.  MARK  XVI,  2-9  257 

2.  And  very  early  in  the  morning,  the  first  day  of  the  week,  they  come  to  the 
sepulchre,  the  sun  being  now  risen. 

3.  And  they  said  one  to  another:  Who  shall  roll  us  back  the  stone  from  the 
door  of  the  sepulchre? 

4.  And  looking,  they  saw  the  stone  rolled  back.    For  it  was  very  great. 

5.  And  entering  into  the  sepulchre,  they  saw  a  young  man  sitting  on  the 
right  side,  clothed  with  a  white  robe :  and  they  were  astonished. 

6.  Who  saith  to  them ;  Be  not  affrighted ;  you  seek  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  who 
was  crucified :  he  is  risen,  he  is  not  here,  behold  the  place  where  they  laid  him. 

7.  But  go,  tell  his  disciples  and  Peter  that  he  goeth  before  you  into  Galilee; 
there  you  shall  see  him,  as  he  told  you. 

8.  But  they  going  out,  fled  from  the  sepulchre.  For  a  trembling  and  fear 
had  seized  them :  and  they  said  nothing  to  any  man ;  for  they  were  afraid. 

9.  But  he  rising  early  the  first  day  of  the  week,  appeared  first  to  Mary  Mag- 
dalen, out  of  whom  he  had  cast  seven  devils. 

sweet  ointments,  and  lastly  in  wrapping  it  up  in  linen  cloths,  inter- 
spersed with  spices. 

2.    See  on  Matthew  xxviii.  i. 

4.  And  looking,  —  rather,  "looking  up''  ( ava^\i\l^aaai) ,  as  they 
came  near  the  tomb. 

5.  And  entering  into  the  sepulchre;  i.e.,  into  the  outer  chamber 
of  the  tomb.  See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  60.  They  saw  a  young 
man;  i.e.,  an  angel,  who  appeared  as  a  young  man.  And  they 
were  astonished,  —  rather.  *"  affirighted  "  {k^edanprjdwav)  at  the 
sight  of  an  angel.    See  on  Matthew  xxviii.  2-4. 

7.  Tell  his  disciples  and  Peter.  St.  Mark  is  the  only  Evangelist 
who,  in  this  connection,  mentions  Peter  in  particular. 

8.  And  they  said  nothing  to  any  man;  i.e.,  on  their  way  back 
to  tell  the  Apostles  the  holy  women  had  nothing  to  say  to  anyone 
until  they  saw  the  Apostles.     See  on  Matthew  xxviii.  2-4. 

9.  Appeared  first  to  Mary  Magdalen.  This  was  during  the 
second  visit  of  Magdalen  to  the  tomb,  after  the  Apostles  Peter 
and  John  had  been  there,  and  had  returned  to  Jerusalem.  See  on 
"Matthew  xxviii.  9;  John  xx.  14-16.  The  authenticity  of  verses  9-20 
of  this  chapter  of  St.  Mark  has  been  called  into  question  since  the 
early  centuries ;  and  although  Catholics,  since  the  Council  of  Trent, 
are  not  permitted  to  doubt  their  divine  inspiration,  still  it  is  not 
altogether  forbidden  to  hold  that  they  were  written  by  some  other 
inspired  author  than  St.  Mark.  The  reasons,  however,  against 
St.  Mark's  authorship,  while  forcible,  are  not  beyond  a  satisfactory 
solution.     These  reasons  are:  — 


258  ST.  MARK  XVI,  10,  11 

10.  She  went  and  told  them  that  had  been  with  him,  who  were  mourning 
and  weeping. 

11.  And  they  hearing  that  he  was  aHve,  and  had  been  seen  by  her,  did  not 
believe. 

(a)  The  verses  in  question  are  not  found  in  the  two  oldest  Greek 
MSS.  which  we  have,  i.e.,  the  Vatican  and  the  Sinaitic.  Answer: 
The  omission  of  these  verses  in  the  Vatican  and  Sinaitic  MSS.  only 
proves  that  the  transcriber  of  those  MSS.  (he  was  the  same  scribe 
for  both),  had  doubts  about  their  genuinity  and  so  omitted  them; 
that  he  knew  of  their  existence  is  evident  from  the  fact  that  he 
leaves  a  blank  space  in  the  Vatican  MS.,  probably  intending  to 
insert  them  later. 

(b)  Saint  Jerome  and  Eusebius  tell  us  that  these  verses  were 
wanting  in  the  majority  of  Greek  MSS.  of  their  day.  Ansiver: 
While  the  majority  of  Greek  MSS.  do  not  contain  the  verses  quoted, 
they  dre  in  the  oldest  Greek  MSS.  that  we  possess,  except  the 
Vatican  and  Sinaitic,  and  in  most  of  the  oldest  translations,  such  as 
the  Itala,  the  Syriac  and  the  Coptic,  which  go  back  to  the  second 
century,  at  least. 

(c)  These  verses  seem  not  to  have  the  usual  graphic  style  of 
St.  Mark.  Ansiver:  But  consider,  "  who  were  mourning  and  weep- 
ing" (verse  lo),  and  the  details  of  verses  ly  and  i8. 

(d)  Certain  words  are  found  in  these  verses  (e.g.,  deaadai, 
dTTio-Tcti',  <l>aivkaQai),  which  occur  nowhere  else  in  St.  Mark.  An- 
swer: This  simply  proves  that  the  author  had  no  need  before  of 
such  words  in  his  Gospel. 

(e)  Why  were  these  verses  omitted  from  so  many  Greek  MSS., 
and  why  do  they  not  make  better  connection  with  what  precedes 
in  the  chapter?  Answer:  Most  likely  because  St.  Mark  added  them 
only  after  many  copies  of  his  unfinished  work  had  been  made  and 
put  into  circulation ;  or  perhaps  because,  for  some  special  reason, 
these  verses  were  omitted  in  the  copies  of  the  Gospel  used  for 
public  reading  in  the  early  churches. 

ID.  She  went  and  told  them  that  had  been  with  him;  i.e.,  she 
went  and  told  His  disciples  and  companions. 

II.  And  they  .  .  .  did  not  believe;  i.e.,  some  of  the  Apostles 
did  not  believe;  this  could  hardly  be  said  of  Peter  and  John,  who 
had  already  visited  the  empty  tomb  (John  xx.  3-10). 


ST.  MARK  XVI,  12-16  259 

12.  And  after  that  he  appeared  in  another  shape  to  two  of  them  walking, 
as  they  were  going  into  the  country. 

13.  And  they  going  told  it  to  the  rest :  neither  did  they  believe  them. 

14.  At  length  he  appeared  to  the  eleven  as  they  were  at  table :  and  he  up- 
braided them  with  their  incredulity  and  hardness  of  heart,  because  they  did 
not  believe  them  who  had  seen  him  after  he  was  risen  again. 

15.  And  he  said  to  them  :  Go  ye  into  the  whole  world,  and  preach  the  gospel 
to  every  creature. 

16.  He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized,  shall  be  saved :  hut  he  that  believeth 
not  shall  be  condemned. 

12.  To  two  of  them  walking;  i.e.,  to  the  two  disciples  who  were 
goino-  to  Emmaus  (Luke  xxiv.  13). 

13.  Neither  did  they  believe  them;  i.e.,  some  of  the  other  dis- 
ciples did  not  beHeve;  just  as  some  had  doubted  the  testimony  of 
Alag-dalen,  so  now  did  they  doubt  that  of  the  two  who  had  met  our 
Lord  on  the  way  to  Emmaus. 

14.  At  length  he  appeared,  etc.;  i.e.,  towards  the  end  of  that 
first  Easter  day  He  appeared  to  the  eleven.  There  were  at  least 
four  apparitions  of  our  Lord  upon  the  day  of  His  Resurrection :  — 
first  to  Mary  Magdalen  (John  xx.  14)  ;  second,  to  Peter  (Luke 
xxiv.  34);  third,  to  the  two  disciples  going  to  Emmaus  (Luke 
xxiv.  15)  ;  fourth,  to  the  eleven,  as  they  were  at  table,  here  men- 
tioned by  St.  Mark,  and  also  by  St.  Luke  (xxiv.  36)  and  St.  John 
(xx.  19).  There  was  also  a  fifth  apparition,  if  we  accept  the  very 
probable  opinion  which  says  that  our  Lord  appeared  separately  to  the 
holy  women  in  the  absence  of  Magdalen.  See  on  Matthew  xxviii. 
2-4. 

To  the  eleven,  as  they  were  at  table.  This  apparition  was  per- 
haps •'  in  the  upper  room,"  where  our  Lord  had  instituted  the  Holy 
Eucharist.  The  term  "  eleven  "  is  used  speaking  roundly,  because 
we  know  that  St.  Thomas  was  not  present  on  this  occasion  (John 
XX.  24). 

15.  Some  think  that  the  words  of  this  verse  were  not  spoken  at 
the  same  time  as  those  of  the  preceding  verse,  but  later,  when  our 
Lord  appeared  in  Galilee.     Cf.  Matthew  xxviii.  18,  19. 

16.  He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized,  etc.  From  these  words, 
it  is  evident  that  faith  and  Baptism  arc  essential  to  salvation ;  and 
the  faith  here  referred  to  is  the  acceptance,  not  of  any  and  every 
doctrine  in  matters  religious,  but  only  of  the  doctrine  revealed  by 
Christ  and  committed  to  His  Apostles  and  His  Church.     Men  are 


26o  ST.  MARK  XVI,  17-20 

17.  And  these  signs  shall  follow  them  that  believe:  In  my  name  they  shall 
cast  out  devils  :  they  shall  speak  with  new  tongues. 

18.  They  shall  take  up  serpents;  and  if  they  shall  drink  any  deadly  thing,  it 
shall  not  hurt  them:  they  shall  lay  their  hands  upon  the  sick,  and  they  shall 
recover. 

19.  And  the  Lord  Jesus,  after  he  had  spoken  to  them,  was  taken  up  into 
heaven,  and  sitteth  on  the  right  hand  of  God. 

20.  But  they  going  forth  preached  everywhere :  the  Lord  working  withal, 
and  confirming  the  word  with  signs  that  followed. 

not  at  liberty  to  believe  what  they  please.  Further,  mere  intellec- 
tual acceptance  of  the  teachings  of  Christ  and  His  Church  are  not 
enough  for  salvation ;  but  the  faith  which  is  necessary  must  em- 
brace good  works  and  a  thorough  obedience  to  all  the  injunctions 
contained  in  Christ's  revelation  to  His  Apostles  and  to  His  Church. 

But  he  that  believeth  not  shall  be  condemned,  —  words  which 
show  that  it  is  impossible  to  be  saved  without  faith,  i.e.,  without 
faith  in  what  Christ  taught,  and  commanded  His  Apostles  and 
Church  to  teach  till  the  end  of  the  world  (Matthew  xxviii.  18-20). 

17,  18.  And  these  signs  shall  follow  them  that  believe.  This 
does  not  mean  that  each  of  the  faithful  shall  possess  the  power  of 
working  miracles ;  the  words  mean  that  the  power  of  working 
miracles  is  communicated  to,  and  shall  ever  abide  with,  the  Church 
of  Christ.  Miracles  were  more  necessary  in  the  beginning  in  order 
that  the  faith  might  more  easily  spread  and  take  root  in  the  hearts 
of  men.  That  the  powers  foretold  in  these  verses  were  actually 
possessed  by  the  Apostles  is  evident  from  Acts  ii.  4 ;  x.  46 ;  xvi.  18 ; 
xxviii.  5,  8. 

19.  After  he  had  spoken  to  them;  i.e.,  during  the  period  of  forty 
days. 

20.  But  they  going  forth,  preached  everyw^here;  i.e.,  in  the 
principal  parts  of  the  then  known  world. 


THE   GOSPEL  ACCORDING   TO 

ST.  LUKE 

INTRODUCTION 

I.  St.  Luke.  Tradition  has  always  ascribed  the  Third  Gospel,  as 
well  as  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  to  Lucas,  the  disciple  and  com- 
panion of  St.  Paul.  Eusebius  (Hist.  Eccl.  iii.  4)  tells  us  that 
Luke  was  born  at  Antioch,  in  Syria.  He  was  doubtless  of  Gentile 
origin,  because  St.  Paul  (Col.  iv.  11)  carefully  distinguishes  him 
from  those  who  were  circumcised.  That  he  was  a  physician  by 
profession  is  clear  from  the  testimony  of  St.  Paul  (Col.  iv.  14), 
from  the  testimonies  of  St.  Jerome  and  St.  Gregory  Nazianzen,  and 
also  from  the  fact  that,  while  Sts.  Matthew  and  Mark  used  popular 
language  when  speaking  of  diseases,  St.  Luke  uses  technical  terms. 
St.  Luke  accompanied  St.  Paul  on  the  latter's  second  missionary 
journey  from  Asia  Minor  to  Macedonia  (Acts  xvi.  10),  staying  at 
Philippi  while  St.  Paul  went  south  to  Achaia.  Later,  when  St.  Paul 
was  on  his  third  missionary  journey  to  the  east,  St.  Luke  joined  him 
at  Philippi,  accompanied  him  to  Jerusalem,  and  shared  his  imprison- 
ment at  Caesarea  (Acts  xxi.  15  and  18).  Thereafter  we  find  the 
two  unseparated.  They  went  to  Rome  together,  and  during  St. 
Paul's  two  imprisonments  there  St.  Luke  was  his  faithful  com- 
panion (2  Tim.  iv.  11).  St.  Jerome  {de  Scrip.  Eccl.)  tells  us  that 
St.  Luke  died  at  Patarae  in  Achaia  at  an  advanced  age. 

II.  Time  and  Place  of  Writing.  The  Gospel  of  St.  Luke  was 
most  likely  written  between  a.d.  59  and  63.  It  certainly  could  not 
have  been  written  before  a.d.  50,  because  it  was  only  around  that 
date  that  St.  Luke  became  the  companion  of  St.  Paul.  Neither 
was  it  written  after  a.d.  63,  since  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  which 
came  after  the  Third  Gospel,  speak,  toward  the  close  of  the  book 
(xxviii.  16),  of  St.  Paul's  imprisonment  at  Rome,  but  say  nothing 


262  INTRODUCTION  TO  ST.   LUKE 

of  his  release.  But  we  know  from  tradition  that  St.  Paul  was  freed 
from  prison  at  Rome  in  a.d.  63,  —  an  event  which  St.  Luke  would 
not  have  omitted  had  he  written  later  than  63.  As  the  labors  and 
distractions,  therefore,  of  the  missionary  journeys  gave  little  or  no 
time  for  composition  it  seems  very  probable  that  St.  Luke  arranged 
his  Gospel  during  the  imprisonment  of  St.  Paul  at  Caesarea,  and 
committed  it  finally  to  writing  at  Rome,  during  the  Apostle's  im- 
prisonment there. 

III.  Scope,  Purpose  and  Characteristics.  In  the  first  four 
verses  of  the  first  chapter  of  his  Gospel,  St.  Luke  tells  us  that  his 
purpose  in  writing  is  to  supplement  and  put  in  order  the  previously 
existing  records  of  the  life,  teaching,  and  labors  of  the  Saviour. 
In  this  there  is  doubtless  reference  to  the  first  two  Gospels  which 
St.  Luke  had  before  him,  as  well  as  to  other  more  fragmentary 
accounts  of  our  Lord's  life  and  works,  which,  not  having  Apostolic 
authority  and  sanction,  have  perished.  St.  Matthew,  for  example, 
tells  us  very  little  about  our  Lord's  childhood;  St.  Mark,  nothing 
at  all ;  and  both  Matthew  and  Mark  abruptly  introduce  the  Baptist 
without  having  told  us  anything  of  His  early  life  and  origin.  Re- 
garding these  and  many  other  things  St.  Luke  had  acquired  a  fuller 
knowledge,  which  he  felt  it  his  duty  to  give  to  his  readers. 

But,  moreover,  it  is  clear  from  both  internal  evidence  and  tradi- 
tion that  St.  Luke  wrote  for  the  Gentiles  to  whom  St.  Paul  had 
preached.  The  prevailing  features  of  the  Apostle's  preaching  are 
everywhere  plainly  discernible  in  the  Third  Gospel.  The  great 
purpose  of  the  Evangelist  is,  therefore,  to  show  the  universality  of 
Christ's  redemption.  Salvation  is  for  all :  for  the  Jews  (i.  32,  54,  68, 
79;  ii.  10)  ;  for  the  Samaritans  (ix.  51-56;  x.  30-37;  xvii.  11-19)  ; 
for  the  publicans  and  sinners  (iii.  12,  13;  v.  27-32;  vii.  37-50;  xv. 
I,  2,  11-32),  and  in  particular  for  the  Gentiles  (ii.  32;  iii.  6,  38; 
iv.  25-27;  vii.  9;  X.  I  ;  xiii.  29;  xxi.  24;  xxiv.  47).  With  the  same 
end  in  view  St.  Luke  traces  our  Lord's  genealogy  back  to  Adam, 
the  father  of  all  men;  he  says  that  the  peace  announced  at  our 
Lord's  birth  was  for  all  men  of  good  will  (ii.  14)  ;  and  that  the 
preaching  of  the  Baptist  attracted  not  only  Jews,  but  Gentiles  (iv. 
25  ff.).  So  much  has  St.  Luke  emphasized  our  Lord's  mercy  for 
sinners  that  his  has  been  called  the  "  Gospel  of  Mercy  "  (cf.  vii.  44- 
48;  X.  30-37;  XV.  8-io;  xviii.  1-7;  xix.  i-io;  xxiii.  34,  39^43)- 


INTRODUCTION  TO  ST.   LUKE  263 

IV.  Sources  of  the  Gospel.  St.  Luke  had  never  known  or  seen 
our  Lord.  He  derived  his  information,  as  he  tells  us,  from  those 
who  had  been  companions  and  eye-witnesses  of  the  word,  from  the 
beginning  of  our  Lord's  public  life.  These  were  especially  the 
Apostles  and  first  disciples  of  the  Master,  the  Blessed  Virgin,  and 
St.  Paul.  The  influence  of  St.  Paul's  preaching  on  the  Gospel  of 
St.  Luke  is  clear,  as  said  above,  from  the  striking  similarity  between 
the  two ;  the  dominant  ideas  of  both  are  the  same,  —  that  all  men 
have  sinned  and  need  redemption,  that  Christ  came  to  save  all  sin- 
ners, that  there  is  no  distinction  between  Jew  and  Gentile.  Another 
important  source  of  St.  Luke's  information  was  doubtless  the 
Apostolic  Catechism  which  was  the  oral  summary  of  Christian  doc- 
trine preached  by  the  Apostles  from  the  beginning  and  taught  to 
all  of  the  new  converts,  and  on  which  each  of  the  Synoptists  based 
his  Gospel,  at  least  in  part. 

V.  Authenticity.  That  the  Third  Gospel  was  well  known  in  the 
first  century  is  proved  from  the  fact  that  a  number  of  the  early 
Fathers  quote  from  it.  Thus  St.  Clement,  who  succeeded  St.  Peter 
as  Pope  in  a.d.  90,  in  his  letters  to  the  Corinthians  (i.  46;  ii.  8) 
twice  quotes  the  words:  '*  He  that  is  faithful  in  that  which  is  least, 
is  faithful  also  in  that  which  is  greater  "  (Luke  xvi.  10).  Likewise 
Polycarp,  St.  John's  disciple,  quotes  (Phil,  ii)  the  passage:  "Be 
ye  therefore  merciful  as  your  heavenly  Father  is  also  merciful  " 
(Luke  vi.  36).  Justin  Martyr  also,  who  was  alinost  St.  Luke's 
contemporary,  (c.  Try  ph.  103,  105)  speaks  of  our  Lord's  last  words: 
"  Jesus  cried  with  a  loud  voice,  Father  into  thy  hands  I  commend 
my  spirit  "  (Luke  xxiii.  46). 

That  Luke  was  the  name  of  the  author  of  the  Third  Gospel  we 
do  not  know  from  himself,  but  from  other  witnesses.  The  Mura- 
toriaii  Fragment,  for  example,  which  was  written  in  the  second 
century,  contains  these  words :  "  Tertium  evangelii  librum  secun- 
dum Lucam.  Lucas  iste  medicus,"  etc.  Again,  St.  Irenaeus 
(Euseb.  Hist.  Eccl.  v.  10)  says:  "Luke,  the  companion  of  Paul, 
recorded  in  writing  the  Gospel  preached  by  him."  Furthermore  we 
have  the  testimonies  of  Clement  of  Alexandria  {Strom,  i.  21),  of 
Origen  (in  Matt,  i.)  and  of  Tertullian  that  Luke  was  the  author  of 
the  Third  Gospel. 

Finally,  the  Third  Gospel  gives  evidence  throughout  of  having 


264  INTRODUCTION  TO  ST.  LUKE 

been  written  by  one  who  was  not  a  Jew,  who  was  an  excellent  Greek 
scholar,  and  had  been  a  physician  by  profession,  and  who  had  been 
long  and  intimately  associated  with  St.  Paul,  —  all  of  which  we 
know  from  tradition  was  true  of  Luke  of  Antioch.  In  the  Acts  of 
the  Apostles  the  author  often  speaks  of  himself  and  St.  Paul, 
showing  that  he  was  the  companion  of  the  latter.  Since,  therefore, 
we  know,  on  the  one  hand,  that  St.  Luke  was  St.  Paul's  companion 
and  the  writer  of  the  Acts,  and,  on  the  other,  that  the  Third  Gospel 
and  the  Acts  bear  unmistakable  evidence  of  having  had  the  same 
author  and  are  dedicated  to  the  same  person,  Theophilus,  it  follows 
quite  conclusively  that  St.  Luke  was  the  writer  of  the  Gospel  at- 
tributed to  him. 

VI.  Division  of  the  Gospel.  There  are  five  general  parts  to  the 
Third  Gospel  besides  a  prologue. 

The  prologue  (i.  1-4)  contains  the  dedication  of  the  Gospel  to 
Theophilus  and  explains  the  author's  purpose  in  writing. 

In  the  first  part  (i.  5-iv.  13)  we  have  an  account  of  the  birth  of 
Jesus  and  of  the  Baptist,  our  Lord's  manifestation  in  childhood  and 
growth  to  manhood,  and  His  baptism  and  temptation. 

The  second  part  (iv.  14-ix.  50)  embraces  the  Saviour's  ministry 
in  Galilee. 

The  third  part  (ix.  51-xix.  2"]^  describes  the  last  journey  of  Jesus 
from  Galilee  to  Jerusalem. 

The  fourth  part  (xix.  28-xxiii.  56)  treats  of  the  Passion  and 
death  of  our  Lord. 

The  fifth  part  (xxiv.  1-53)  gives  us  an  account  of  the  Resurrec- 
tion of  our  Lord,  of  certain  manifestations,  and  of  the  Ascension. 


The   Gospel   according  to   St.   Luke 
CHAPTER  I 

Prologue,  1-4. 

The  Birth  of  John  the  Baptist  is  Announced, 

5-25- 
The  Annunciation,  26-38. 
The  Visitation,  39-56. 
The  Birth  of  John  the  Baptist,  57-80. 

1.  Forasmuch  as  many  have  taken  in  hand  to  set  forth  in  order  a  narration 
of  the  things  that  have  been  accomplished  among  us  : 

2.  According  as  they  have  deHvered  them  unto  us,  who  from  the  beginning 
were  eyewitnesses  and  ministers  of  the  word : 

3.  It  seemed  good  to  me  also,  having  diligently  attained  to  all  things  from 
the  beginning,  to  write  to  thee  in  order,  most  excellent  Theophilus, 

T.  The  first  four  verses  of  the  present  chapter  form  a  brief  in- 
troduction to  the  whole  Gospel.  They  tell  us  the  purpose  of  the 
Gospel,  as  well  as  the  source  of  St.  Luke's  information. 

Many.  This  term  could  hardly  refer  to  Sts.  Matthew  and  Mark 
alone,  at  least,  who  were  only  two ;  neither  could  it  mean  the  writers 
of  the  apocryphal  gospels,  whose  works  are  not  inspired.  The 
reference  is  doubtless  to  a  number  of  well-intentioned  writers,  who 
failed  to  bring  their  accounts  to  completion,  and  whose  records  were 
consequently  most  likely  not  inspired. 

To  set  forth  in  order,  etc. ;  i.e.,  to  give  an  orderly  account  of  the 
life,  teachings,  and  works  of  Christ.  Among  us;  i.e.,  during  our 
own  time. 

2.  According  as  they  had  delivered  them  unto  us,  etc.  These 
words  are  probably  to  be  connected  with  verse  3,  and  hence  there 
should  be  a  full-stop  after  verse  i.  Of  the  word;  i.e.,  of  the  Gos- 
pel teaching. 

3.  Having  diligently  attained,  etc.  St.  Luke  is  here  telling  us 
that  he  wishes  to  give  us  a  carefully  investigated  account  of  the 


266  ST.  LUKE  I,  4-7 

4.  That  thou  mayest  know  the  verity  of  those  words  in  which  thou  hast 
been  instructed. 

5.  There  was  in  the  days  of  Herod,  the  king  of  Judea,  a  certain  priest 
named  Zachary,  of  the  course  of  Abia;  and  his  wife  was  of  the  daughters  of 
Aaron,  and  her  name  EHzabeth. 

6.  And  they  were  both  just  before  God,  walking  in  all  the  commandments 
and  justifications  of  the  Lord  without  blame. 

7.  And  they  had  no  son,  for  that  Elizabeth  was  barren,  and  they  both  were 
well  advanced  in  years. 

life,  teachings,  and  doings  of  the  Saviour,  in  accordance  with  the 
testimony  of  those  who  had  been  eye-witnesses  of  the  events  about 
to  be  narrated. 

In  order  may  refer  to  the  arrangement  of  the  events  narrated; 
but  more  probably  the  phrase  expresses  St.  Luke's  intention  to  make 
his  narrative  chronological. 

Theophilus  was  most  likely  some  influential  Gentile  Christian 
whom  St.  Luke  himself  had  instructed  and  converted  to  the  faith. 

4.  Instructed;  i.e.,  catechized  {KarnxvOrfs) .  This  is  the  first 
usage  of  the  term  "  catechize  "  in  the  sense  of  embracing  a  course 
of  Christian  instruction. 

5.  Herod.  This  is  Herod  the  First,  the  Great,  who  put  to  death 
the  Holy  Innocents,     See  on  Matthew  ii.  i. 

Zachary  means  "  memorial  of  the  Lord."  Of  the  course  of 
Abia;  i.e.,  of  the  rank  or  order  of  Abia.  King  David  had  divided 
the  descendants  of  Aaron  into  twenty-four  courses,  or  classes,  each 
of  which  were  to  discharge  the  priestly  functions  in  the  Temple 
for  a  week  at  a  time,  from  one  Sabbath  to  another.  The  class  of 
Abia  was  the  eighth  (i  Paralip.  xxiv.  3-10).  Elizabeth  means 
"oath  of  God." 

6.  Just  before  God.  This  means  that  they  were  free  from  all 
grievous  sin,  pleasing  in  the  sight  of  God.  The  words  do  not  mean 
that  the\'  were  exempted  or  free  from  all  venial  offences,  which 
the  Council  of  Trent  (Sess.  vi.  can.  23)  teaches  is  impossible  with- 
out a  special  privilege  from  God. 

7.  And  they  had  no  son.  This  was  a  great  source  of  sorrow 
and  humiliation  to  Jewish  parents,  because  it  frustrated  all  hope 
of  having  the  Messiah  born  to  them. 

Well  advanced  in  years.  This  only  means  that  they  had  been 
a  long  time  married ;  and  now,  that  they  were  getting  along  in 


ST.  LUKE  I,  8-12  267 

8.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  he  executed  the  priestly  function  in  the  order 
of  his  course  before  God, 

9.  According  to  the  custom  of  the  priestly  office,  it  was  his  lot  to  ofiFer  in- 
cense, going  into  the  temple  of  the  Lord. 

10.  And  all  the  multitude  of  the  people  was  praying  without,  at  the  hour  of 
incense, 

11.  And  there  appeared  to  him  an  angel  of  the  Lord,  standing  on  the  right 
side  of  the  altar  of  incense. 

12.  And  Zachary  seeing  him,  was  troubled,  and  fear  fell  upon  him. 

years,  there  was  little  hope  that  they  should  have  a  son.  As 
Zachary  was  still  officiating  in  the  Temple  he  could  not  have  been 
fifty  years  old,  because  at  the  completion  of  their  fiftieth  year  the 
Levites  ceased  to  exercise  their  solemn  functions  (Num.  viii.  23). 

8,  9.  These  verses  show  that  Zachary  was  not  the  High- Priest, 
because  the  High-Priest  did  not  belong  to  any  course,  and  hence 
could  minister  in  the  Temple  at  any  function,  as  often  as  he  pleased. 

According  to  the  custom  of  the  priestly  office.  It  was  cus- 
tomary for  the  priests  of  the  same  course  to  distribute  the  duties 
of  the  week  by  casting  lots.  This  particular  week,  it  fell  to  the 
lot  of  Zachary  to  ofifer  incense,  which  was  the  most  coveted  and 
honorable  of  the  priestly  functions. 

Going  into  the  temple  of  the  Lord;  i.e.,  into  the  Holy  Place, 
to  which  the  priests  alone  were  admitted.  The  Holy  Place  was  in 
the  Court  of  the  Priests,  and  separated  from  the  Holy  of  Holies  by 
only  a  veil.  Only  the  High-Priest  was  allowed  to  enter  the  Holy 
of  Holies.     See  on  Matthew  xxi.  12. 

10.  And  all  the  multitude  of  the  people  was  praying  without. 
From  this  it  would  seem  that  Zachary  was  performing  his  func-" 
tions  on  a  Sabbath,  or  festival  day,  since  a  large  crowd  of  people 
had  assembled  in  the  Temple.  The  people  were  in  the  Court  of 
Israel,  which  was  outside  of  the  Court  of  the  Priests,  but  inside  the 
Court  of  the  Gentiles.     See  on  Matthew  xxi.  12. 

At  the  hour  of  incense.  Incense  was  oflfered  on  the  Golden 
Altar  of  Incense,  in  the  Court  of  the  Priests,  morning  and  evening 
of  each  day. 

11.  An  angeL    This  was  the  Archangel  Gabriel   (verge  19). 

12.  And  Zachary  .  .  .  was  troubled,  —  most  likely  because  of 
the  sudden  and  unexpected  appearance  of  the  angel  in  human 
form. 


268  .  ST.  LUKE  I,  13-17 

13.  But  the  angel  said  to  him:  Fear  not,  Zachary,  for  thy  prayer  is  heard; 
and  thy  wife  EHzabeth  shall  bear  thee  a  son,  and  thou  shalt  call  his  name  John : 

14.  And  thou  shalt  have  joy  and  gladness,  and  many  shall  rejoice  in  his 
nativity. 

15.  For  he  shall  be  great  before  the  Lord;  and  shall  drink  no  wine  nor 
strong  drink:  and  he  shall  be  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  even  from  his 
mother's  womb. 

16.  And  he  shall  convertmanyof  the  children  of  Israel  to  the  Lord  their  God. 

17.  And  he  shall  go  before  him  in  the  spirit  and  power  of  Elias;  that  he 
may  turn  the  hearts  of  the  fathers  unto  the  children,  and  the  incredulous  to 
the  wisdom  of  the  just,  to  prepare  unto  the  Lord  a  perfect  people. 

13.  For  thy  prayer  is  heard.  There  is  a  question  as  to  what 
prayer  of  Zachary  the  angel  here  referred.  The  common  opinion 
of  the  Fathers  is  that  he  had  been  praying  for  the  speedy  coming 
of  the  Messiah  and  Redeemer ;  others,  however,  think  that  his 
prayer  had  been  for  a  son.  It  may  well  be  that  the  angel  referred 
to  something  which  Zachary  had  been  praying  for,  not  at  this  par- 
ticular time,  but  in  the  past. 

John.  The  name  "  John,"  in  Hebrew,  means  *'  grace  or  mercy 
of  Jehovah."  This  name  was  especially  appropriate  in  the  case  of 
John  the  Baptist,  who  was  in  a  particular  manner  the  gift  of  God's 
grace  and  mercy. 

15.  For  he  shall  be  great  before  the  Lord.  John  was  to  be 
great:  (a)  because  sanctified  from  his  mother's  womb;  (b)  be- 
cause of  his  office  as  Precursor  to  our  Lord;  (c)  because  of  the 
austerity  of  his  life;  (d)  because  he  should  convert  many  Israelites 
to  the  faith  and  justice  of  their  fore-fathers. 

He  shall  be  filled  .  .  .  from  his  mother's  womb.  It  is  the 
common  teaching  of  the  Fathers  that  the  soul  of  John  was  cleansed 
from  original  sin,  and  filled  with  the  gifts  and  graces  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  before  his  birth  and  while  yet  in  his  mother's  womb.  He 
was  not,  however,  like  the  Blessed  Virgin,  free  from  all  stain  of 
original  sin  from  the  first  moment  of  his  conception ;  neither  in  his 
after  life  was  he,  like  her,  exempt  from  all  venial  offences. 

17.  And  he  shall  go  before,  etc. ;  i.e.,  John,  as  Precursor,  was 
to  go  before  our  Lord,  the  Messiah,  and  prepare  the  people  for  the 
reception  of  Christ  and  His  teaching. 

In  the  spirit  and  power  of  Elias.  John  was  to  exhibit  in  his 
person  many  of  the  characteristics  and  virtues  of  Elias,  especially 
the  courage,  fortitude  and  fearless  denunciation  of  sin  which  had 


ST.  LUKE  I,  18-25  269 

18.  And  Zachary  said  to  the  angel :  Whereby  shall  1  know  this?  for  I  am  an 
old  man,  and  my  wife  is  advanced  in  years. 

19.  And  the  angel  answering,  said  to  him :  I  am  Gabriel,  who  stand  before 
God ;  and  am  sent  to  speak  to  thee,  and  to  bring  thee  these  good  tidings. 

20.  And  behold,  thou  shalt  be  dumb,  and  shalt  not  be  able  to  speak  until  the 
day  wherein  these  things  shall  come  to  pass,  because  thou  hast  not  believed  my 
words,  which  shall  be  fulfilled  in  their  time. 

21.  And  the  people  were  waiting  for  Zachary ;  and  they  wondered  that  he 
tarried  so  long  in  the  temple. 

22.  And  when  he  came  out,  he  could  not  speak  to  them :  and  they  under- 
stood that  he  had  seen  a  vision  in  the  temple.  And  he  made  signs  to  them, 
and  remained  dumb. 

23.  And  it  came  to  pass,  after  the  days  of  his  office  were  accomplished,  he 
departed  to  his  own  house. 

24.  And  after  those  days,  Elizabeth  his  wife  conceived,  and  hid  herself  five 
months,  saying : 

25.  Thus  hath  the  Lord  dealt  with  me  in  the  days  wherein  he  hath  had  re- 
gard to  take  away  my  reproach  among  men. 

shown  forth  in  the  great  prophet ;  hence,  John  was  to  appear  in  the 
"  spirit  and  power  of  Ellas  "  (Mai.  iv.  5). 

That  he  may  turn  the  hearts  of  the  fathers,  etc.  This  may 
mean  that,  by  his  preaching,  he  was  to  recall  the  faithless  and  de- 
generate IsraeHtes  of  his  day  to  the  faith  and  virtues  of  their  fore- 
fathers, the  Patriarchs ;  or  that  he  was  to  arouse  the  people,  the 
children  of  the  patriarchs,  to  a  new  life  of  faith  and  virtue,  which 
would  thus,  as  it  were,  cause  the  Patriarchs  to  look  from  the  spirit 
world  with  pleasure  and  satisfaction  on  their  repentant  descendants. 

18.  Whereby  shall  I  know  this.  By  these  words  nearly  all  the 
Fathers  believe  that  Zachary  expressed  a  doubt  as  to  the  truth  of 
the  angel's  words,  and  that  he  was  consequently  guilty  of  at  least 
venial  sin. 

19.  Gabriel,  —  which  means  the  "  power  of  God." 

20.  Thou  shalt  be  dumb.  This  affliction  was  to  be  a  sign  of  the 
truth  of  the  angel's  message,  and  also  a  punishment  for  Zachary's 
doubt.    Until  the  day;  i.e.,  until  the  birth  of  John. 

21.  And  they  wondered,  etc. ;  because  the  priest  was  not 
supposed  to  remain  longer  than  was  necessary  in  the  Holy 
Place. 

22.  And  he  made  signs  to  them;  most  likely  indicative  of  what 
had  just  taken  place  between  himself  and  the  angel. 

24,  25.    These  verses  show  that  after  conceiving.  Elizabeth  kept 


270  ST.  LUKE  I,  26-28 


26.  And  in  the  sixth  month,  the  angel  Gabriel  was  sent  from  God  into  a  city 
of  Galilee,  called  Nazareth, 

27.  To  a  virgin  espoused  to  a  man  whose  name  was  Joseph,  of  the  house  of 
David ;  and  the  virgin's  name  was  Mary. 

28.  And  the  angel  being  come  in,  said  unto  her :  Hail,  full  of  grace,  the 
Lord  is  with  thee :  blessed  art  thou  among  women. 

aloof  from  the  eyes  of  the  world,  most  likely  out  of  a  sense  of 
modesty ;  but  especially  in  order  to  be  more  united  with  God  in 
prayer  and  thanksgiving  for  the  great  benefit  which  had  been  be- 
stowed upon  her. 

26.  And  in  the  sixth  month;  i.e.,  after  the  conception  of  Eliza- 
beth. Hence  John  the  Baptist  was  just  six  months  older  than  our 
Lord. 

Nazareth.    See  on  Matthew  ii.  23. 

27.  To  a  virgin  espoused.  From  these  words,  some  conclude 
that  the  Blessed  Virgin  was  already  really  married  to  Joseph ;  others 
that  she  was  only  promised  in  marriage  by  her  family.  The  latter 
opinion  would  seem  more  probable  because  otherwise  she  would 
have  been  actually  living  with  St.  Joseph,  as  was  customary  with 
those  really  married.     See  on  Matthew  i.  18. 

Of  the  house  of  David.  St.  Joseph  and  the  Blessed  Virgin  were 
both  of  the  family  of  David.  Our  Lord  was  therefore  truly  "  the 
Son  of  David  "  on  his  mother's  side. 

Mary.  This  name  is  derived  from  the  Hebrew  "  Miriam,"  which 
signifies  "  Star  of  the  Sea,"  or,  in  Chaldaic,  '*  Lady." 

28.  And  the  angel  being  come  in.  It  is  the  common  opinion 
that  our  Blessed  Lady  was  rapt  in  devout  prayer  when  the  angel 
entered  her  room. 

Full  of  grace.  This  is  the  Catholic  translation  of  the  Greek, 
KexapiTOifihr],  and  is  in  conformity  with  the  authority  of  the  Latin 
Fathers,  and  of  the  ancient  Syriac  and  Arabic  versions  of  this 
passage.  Protestants  widely  differ  as  to  the  meaning  of  the  word. 
The  Authorized  Version  translates  it,  "highly  favored."  Literally, 
the  term  would  seem  to  mean  *'  highly  pleasing,"  or  "  highly 
favored,"  or  "  singularly  endowed."  Since,  therefore,  it  is  grace 
alone  which  renders  one  highly  pleasing  in  the  sight  of  God,  the 
translation  "  full  of  grace  "  would  seem  to  be  most  correct.  Just 
as  Solomon  was  called  '"  The  Wise  One,"  and  our  Lord,  "  The  Just 


ST.  LUKE  I,  29-33  271 

29.  Who  having  heard,  was  troubled  at  his  saying,  and  thought  with  herself 
what  manner  of  salutation  this  should  be. 

30.  And  the  angel  said  to  her :  Fear  not,  Mary,  for  thou  hast  found  grace 
with  God. 

31.  Behold  thou  shalt  conceive  in  thy  womb,  and  shalt  bring  forth  a  son; 
and  thou  shalt  call  his  name  Jesus. 

32.  He  shall  be  great,  and  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  the  most  High ;  and 
the  Lord  God  shall  give  unto  him  the  throne  of  David  his  father;  and  he  shall 
reign  in  the  house  of  Jacob  for  ever. 

33.  And  of  his  kingdom  there  shall  be  no  end. 

One,''  so  here  our  Blessed  Lady  is  addressed  as  "  The  Highly- 
favored  One,"  i.e.,  favored  above  all  others. 

The  Lord  is  with  thee.  By  "  Lord,"  we  are  here  to  understand 
Jehovah  (God)  ;  not  our  Lord,  whom  as  yet  our  Blessed  Lady  had 
not  conceived. 

Blessed  art  thou  among  women.  These  words,  although  found 
in  most  MSS..  are  wanting  in  the  Vatican  and  a  few  other  ancient 
MSS.  Our  Blessed  Lady  is  here  compared,  not  with  the  whole 
of  mankind,  but  with  all  other  women. 

29.  Who  having  heard,  who  rather  "having  seen"  (iSovaa). 
It  was  a  shock  to  our  Lady's  modesty  to  see  the  angel  in  her  room 
in  the  form  of  a  young  man.  It  was  likewise  a  shock  to  her 
humility  to  hear  the  words  of  praise  which  he  addressed  to  her. 
Was  troubled,  because  she  was  most  probably  only  promised 
in  marriage  by  her  family.  Her  heart  and  her  own  final  promise 
of  marriage  had  never  been  given,  nor  perhaps  had  she  intended  to 
give  them  to  any  man. 

30.  Fear  not,  Mary.  The  angel  now  speaks  to  her  more  famil- 
iarly, calling  her  by  her  name,  which  shows  that  she  was  no  stranger 
to  him,  and  he  assures  her  that  no  evil  can  befall  her  since  she  is 
under  divine  protection. 

31.  Behold,  thou  shalt  conceive  in  thy  womb.  The  Blessed 
Virgin  knew  that  the  Prophet  Isaias  had  foretold,  seven  hundred 
years  before,  that  the  Messiah  should  be  conceived  by  a  virgin 
(Isa.  vii.  14),  but  how  this  should  be,  she  did  not  know. 

Jesus  is  the  Greek  form  of  the  Hebrew  Josuc;  it  means  Saviour. 
Jesus  was  to  save  his  people  from  their  sins  (]\Iatthew  i.  21). 

32.  He  shall  be  great, —  (a)  because  He  shall  be  called,  and 
shall  be  in  reality,  the  Son  of  God;  (b)  because  He  shall  be  the 
everlasting-  ruler  of  the  people  of  God. 


272  ST.  LUKE  I,  34-36 

34.  And  Mary  said  to  the  angel :  How  shall  this  be  done,  because  I  know- 
not  man? 

35.  And  the  angel  answering,  said  to  her :  The  Holy  Ghost  shall  come  upon 
thee,  and  the  power  of  the  most  High  shall  overshadow  thee.  And  therefore 
also  the  Holy  which  shall  be  born  of  thee  shall  be  called  the  Son  of  God. 

36.  And  behold  thy  cousin  Elizabeth,  she  also  hath  conceived  a  son  in  her 
old  age;  and  this  is  the  sixth  month  with  her  that  is  called  barren  : 

Throne  of  David  his  father.  Our  Lord  was  to  be  the  descendant 
of  David,  and  He  was  to  be  David's  successor  and  the  spiritual 
ruler  of  the  chosen  people  of  God. 

In  the  house  of  Jacob  forever.  Our  Lord  was  to  exercise 
dominion,  not  over  a  few  tribes  of  Israel,  as  did  some  of  the  de- 
scendants of  Jacob,  but  over  all  of  the  twelve  tribes,  and  over  all 
those  who  in  future  should  be  aggregated  to  His  Church. 

34.  How  shall  this  be  done,  etc.  By  these  words  the  Blessed 
Virgin  did  not  express  any  doubt,  as  we  know  from  verse  45 ;  she 
wished  to  know  only  the  manner  in  which  the  angel's  announce- 
ment was  to  be  fulfilled. 

Because  I  know  not  man.  From  these  words,  expressed  in  the 
present  tense,  the  Fathers  and  commentators  infer  that  the  Blessed 
Virgin  had  made  a  vow  of  perpetual  virginity.  The  use  of  the 
present  tense  seems  to  embrace  all  time,  past,  present,  and  future. 
See  above,  verse  29. 

35.  The  Holy  Ghost  shall  come  upon  thee,  etc.  The  angel 
now  assures  our  Lady  that  the  Holy  Ghost,  without  any  detriment 
to  her  virginity,  shall  miraculously  cause  her  to  conceive  a  son. 
This  work  is  appropriated  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  because  it  is  a  work 
of  love.  The  external  works  (opera  ad  extra)  of  the  Holy  Trinity 
are  differently  appropriated  to  the  different  persons ;  thus,  power  is 
appropriated  to  the  Father,  wisdom  to  the  Son,  love  to  the  Holy 
Ghost.  The  appropriations  are  founded  on  the  different  relations 
to  one  another  of  the  three  Divine  Persons  of  the  Holy  Trinity, 

It  is  to  be  noted  that  this  and  the  preceding  verse  afford  a  proof 
of  the  Virgin  Birth  of  our  Lord.    Cf.  on  Matthew  i.  18-25. 

The  holy;  i.e.,  the  holy  offspring,  "which  shall  be  born,"  — 
literally,  "  which  is  born  "  (yewunevov)  ;  i.e.,  which  is  just  about  to 
be  conceived.  The  phrase  "  of  thee "  is  wanting  in  most  Greek 
MSS. 

36.  Thy  cousin  Elizabeth.    Elizabeth  was  of  the  daughters  of 


ST.  LUKE  J,  37-41  273 

37.  Because  do  word  shall  be  impossible  with  God. 

38.  And  Mary  said  :  Behold  the  handmaid  of  the  Lord ;  be  it  done  to  me  ac- 
cording to  thy  word.    And  the  angel  departed  from  her. 

39.  And  Mary'rising  up  in  those  days,  went  into  the  hill  country  with  haste 
into  a  city  of  Juda. 

40.  And  she  entered  into  the  house  of  Zachary,  and  saluted  Elizabeth. 

41.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  when  Elizabeth  heard  the  salutation  of  Mary, 
the  infant  leaped  in  her  womb.    And  Elizabeth  was  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost : 

Aaron  and  Mary  was  of  the  tribe  of  Juda;  but  since  they  are 
cousins,  it  must  be  that  one  of  Elizabeth's  ancestors,  on  the  maternal 
side,  was  married  to  a  man  of  the  tribe  of  Juda. 

She  also  hath  conceived,  etc.  The  angel  spoke  these  words  to 
Mary,  not  because  the  latter  had  doubted,  but  only  to  strengthen 
her  faith.  Just  as  Elizabeth,  who  by  age  was  sterile,  had  become 
fecund  by  the  gift  of  God,  so  should  Mary  be  able  to  conceive  a 
son  without  any  intervention  on  the  part  of  man. 

That  is  called  barren;  i.e.,  who  is  commonly  known  to  be  barren. 

37.  No  word;  i.e.,  no  promise  of  God  is  impossible  of  fulfillment ; 
)io  thing  is  beyond  God's  power. 

38.  Behold  the  handmaid  of  the  Lord.  As  soon  as  Mary 
understood  that  she  was  to  conceive  without  detriment  to  her 
virginity,  she  at  once  humbly  bowed  to  the  will  of  God;  and  at 
that  moment  she  conceived  her  Divine  Son. 

39.  In  those  days ;  i.e.,  soon  after  she  had  conceived  our  Lord. 
Into  a  city  of  Juda.    This  was  doubtless  some  sacerdotal  city, 

as  Elizabeth  was  of  the  daughters  of  Aaron.  Some  think  it  was 
Hebron,  about  eighty  miles  south  of  Nazareth ;  others  believe  it  was 
Jutta,  or  Juttah.  The  exact  indications  of  tradition  are  that 
Zachary  dwelt  in  Ain-Karim,  about  three  and  a  half  miles  south- 
west of  Jerusalem,  and  nearly  four  miles  northwest  of  Bethlehem. 
The  journey  from  Nazareth  to  the  hill-country  south  of  Jerusalem 
took  about  four  days.  The  purpose  of  our  Lady's  visit  to  her 
cousin  was  not  to  satisfy  any  personal  doubts  or  curiosity,  but  only 
to  congratulate  Elizabeth  on  the  great  gifts  which  God  had  con- 
ferred upon  her. 

41.  The  infant  leaped.  The  infant  *'  leaped  for  joy  "  (verse  44). 
It  is  a  common  belief  of  the  Fathers  that  John  was  at  this  moment 
given  the  use  of  reason  in  a  passing  way,  and  that  his  expression 
of  joy  was  because  he  understood  that,  in  Mary's  womb,  was  con- 


274  ST.  LUKE  I,  42-47 

42.  And  she  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice,  and  said :  Blessed  art  thou  among 
women,  and  blessed  is  the  fruit  of  thy  womb. 

43.  And  whence  is  this  to  me,  that  the  mother  of  my  Lord  should  come 
to  me? 

44.  For  behold  as  soon  as  the  voice  of  thy  salutation  sounded  in  my  ears, 
the  infant  in  my  womb  leaped  for  joy. 

45.  And  blessed  art  thou  that  hast  believed,  because  those  things  shall  be 
accomplished  that  were  spoken  to  thee  by  the  Lord. 

46.  And  Mary  said :  My  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord. 

47.  And  my  spirit  hath  rejoiced  in  God  my  Saviour. 

ceived  the  Eternal  Son  of  God.  It  is  the  common  belief,  also,  that 
it  was  at  this  time  that  John  was  cleansed  from  original  sin  and 
filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost. 

And  Elizabeth  was  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost;  i.e.,  she  then 
became  endowed  with  special  gifts  which,  according  to  St.  Bede, 
enabled  her  to  know  the  past,  present,  and  future.  She  seemed  to 
know  the  past,  because  she  at  once  said  (verse  45)  "blessed  art 
thou  that  hast  believed";  and  the  present,  because  she  said  (verse 
43)  "that  the  mother  of  my  Lord  should  come  to  me";  and  the 
future,  because  she  predicts  (verse  45)  "that  those  things  shall 
be  accomplished,"  etc. 

42.  Blessed  art  thou  among  women;  i.e.,  highly  favored  and 
gifted,  above  all  other  women. 

43.  That  the  mother  of  my  Lord,  etc.  These  words  show  that 
Elizabeth  recognized  the  infant  in  Mary's  womb  as  the  Eternal 
Son  of  God. 

44.  45.    See  above,  verse  41. 

46.  My  soul  doth  magnify  the  Lord.  The  Magnificat  is  the 
most  sublime  canticle  in  the  Bible.  It  is  similar  to  that  spoken  by 
Anna,  the  mother  of  Samuel  (i  Kings  ii.  i  fif.),  which  the  Blessed 
Virgin  must  have  known.  The  Magnificat  is  divided  into  three 
parts:  the  first  part  (verses  46-50)  expresses  Mary's  gratitude  for 
the  singular  gifts  and  graces  which  Almighty  God  had  bestowed 
upon  her;  the  second  part  (verses  50-54)  treats  of  the  many  bene- 
fits which  Almighty  God  had  bestowed  at  all  times  on  the  people 
of  Israel;  the  third  part  (verses  54,  55)  refers  again  to  the  mystery 
of  the  Incarnation,  the  promise  made  of  old  to  the  Fathers. 

My  soul.  The  word  "  soul  "  is  here  meant  to  embrace  Mary's 
whole  being. 

47.  In  God  my  Saviour.    This  is  not  a  reference  to  the  Second 


ST.  LUKE  I,  48-58  275 

48.  Because  he  hath  regarded  the  humility  of  his  handmaid;  for  behold 
from  henceforth  all  generations  shall  call  me  blessed. 

49.  Because  he  that  is  mighty,  hath  done  great  things  to  me ;  and  holy  is  his 
name. 

50.  And  his  mercy  is  from  generation  unto  generations,  to  them  that  fear 
him. 

51.  He  hath  shewed  might  in  his  arm  :  he  hath  scattered  the  proud  in  the 
conceit  of  their  heart. 

52.  He  hath  put  down  the  mighty  from  their  seat,  and  hath  exalted  the 
humble. 

53.  He  hath  filled  the  hungry  with  good  things ;  and  the  rich  he  hath  sent 
empty  away. 

54.  He  hath  received  Israel  his  servant,  being  mindful  of  his  mercy : 

55.  As  he  spoke  to  our  fathers,  to  Abraham  and  to  his  seed  for  ever. 

56.  And  Mary  abode  with  her  about  three  months ;  and  she  returned  to  her 
own  house. 

57.  Now  Elizabeth's  full  time  of  being  delivered  was  come,  and  she  brought 
forth  a  son. 

58.  And  her  neighbours  and  kinsfolks  heard  that  the  Lord  had  shewed  his 
great  mercy  towards  her,  and  tliey  congratulated  with  her. 

Person  of  the  Blessed  Trinity,  but  to  the  Godhead  in  general,  the 
Creator  and  Preserver  of  all  men. 

48.  The  humility  of  his  handmaid;  i.e.,  the  unworthiness  and 
lowliness  of  our  Blessed  Lady.  Mary  was  not  referring  to  her 
humility  as  a  virtue,  but  to  her  unworthiness  of  so  great  a  gift  of 
God. 

49.  He  that  is  mighty,  —  rather,  the  Mighty  One  (6  Syj/aros) . 

50.  To  them  that  fear  him;  i.e.,  to  them  that  have  the  salu- 
tary fear  of  the  Lord,  which  teaches  the  observance  of  His  com- 
mandments. 

51.  52.  In  these  verses  the  Blessed  Virgin  is  extolling  the  good- 
ness of  God  to  the  whole  world,  which  rewards  the  humble  and 
punishes  the  proud. 

53.  He  hath  filled  the  hungry,  etc.  These  words  refer  to  the 
spiritual  benefits,  as  well  as  temporal,  which  Almighty  God  at  all 
times  bestowed  upon  the  Jewish  people,  and  which  in  general  He 
bestows  upon  the  world. 

54.  He  hath  received  Israel ;  i.e.,  He  has  come  to  the  assistance  of 
His  chosen  people,  in  accordance  with  His  promise  to  Abraham, 
their  father  (verse  55). 

56.  About  three  months.  Most  probably  the  Blessed  Virgin 
remained  with  Elizabeth  until  after  the  birth  of  Tohn.     It  would 


276  ST.  LUKE  I,  59-66 

59.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  on  the  eighth  day  they  came  to  circmncise  the 
child,  and  they  called  him  by  his  father's  name  Zachary. 

60.  And  his  mother  answering,  said:  Not  so;  but  he  shall  be  called 
John. 

61.  And  they  said  to  her :  There  is  none  of  thy  kindred  that  is  called  by  this 
name. 

62.  And  they  made  signs  to  his  father,  how  he  would  have  him  called. 

63.  A.nd  demanding  a  writing  table,  he  wrote,  saying :  John  is  his  name. 
And  they  all  wondered. 

64.  And  immediately  his  mouth  was  opened,  and  his  tongue  loosed,  and  he 
spoke,  blessing  God. 

65.  And  fear  came  upon  all  their  neighbours ;  and  all  these  things  were 
noised  abroad  over  all  the  hill  country  of  Judea. 

66.  And  all  they  that  had  heard  them  laid  them  up  in  their  heart,  saying : 
What  an  one,  think  ye,  shall  this  child  be?  For  the  hand  of  the  Lord  was  with 
him. 

be  unseemly  that  she  should  remain  until  the  very  time  of  so  great 
an  event  and  depart  before  its  occurrence. 

59.  On  the  eighth  day,  etc.  The  circumcision  of  John  was  most 
likely  performed  in  Zachary's  home,  at  which  were  present  priests, 
as  well  as  friends  and  neighbors  of  the  family.  Circumcision  re- 
mitted original  sin,  and  also  actual  sin,  if  the  person  circumcised 
was  guilty  of  any.  In  addition,  it  conferred  sanctifying  grace, 
not  indeed  of  itself,  as  does  Baptism,  but  inasmuch  as  it  was 
a  sign  of  faith  in  the  redemption  to  come.  Circumcision  did 
not,  however,  remit  all  the  temporal  punishment  due  to  sin,  as 
Baptism  does.  Those  who  died  before  the  eighth  day,  or  before 
the  institution  of  circumcision,  which  was  in  the  time  of  Abra- 
ham, were  saved  by  the  faith  of  their  parents  in  the  Redeemer 
to  come. 

He  shall  be  called  John.  Perhaps  from  Zachary  Elizabeth  had 
learned  that  the  child's  name  was  to  be  John,  in  accordance  with 
the  announcement  of  the  angel ;  perhaps,  also,  this  had  been  made 
known  to  her  by  revelation. 

62,  They  made  signs  to  his  father,  because  Zachary  was  still 
deaf  and  dumb. 

63.  And  they  all  wondered;  i.e.,  that  Zachary  and  Elizabeth 
should  have  insisted  on  the  name  John. 

65.  Fear  came  upon  all,  etc. ;  i.e.,  a  fear  of  reverence,  on  account 
of  the  wonderful  things  which  had  taken  place  in  regard  to  the 
new-born  child. 


ST.  LUKE  I,  67-71  277 

67.  And  Zachary  his  father  was  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost;  and  he  prophe- 
sied, saying : 

68.  Blessed  be  the  Lord  God  of  Israel ;  because  he  hath  visited  and 
wrought  the  redemption  of  his  people  : 

69.  And  hath  raised  up  an  horn  of  salvation  to  us,  in  the  house  of  David 
his  servant : 

70.  As  he  spoke  by  the  mouth  of  his  holy  prophets,  who  are  from  the  be- 
ginning: 

71.  Salvation  from  our  enemies,  and  from  the  hand  of  all  that  hate  us: 

67.  Zachary  .  .  .  was  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost;  i.e.,  over 
and  above  the  sanctifying  grace  which  he  possessed,  he  received  the 
gift  of  prophecy. 

68.  Here  begins  the  Benedictus,  which  is  the  second  canticle  of 
the  New  Testament.  It  is  chiefly  prophetic  in  character,  and  is 
divided  into  two  parts:  the  first  part  (verses  68-75)  sings  the 
praises  of  God  for  the  great  mystery  of  the  Incarnation,  and  for 
the  blessings  which  are  to  follow  therefrom.  The  second  part 
(verses  76-79)  refers  to  John,  whom  Zachary  addresses  as  the 
Precursor  of  the  Messiah. 

Blessed  be  the  Lord,  God  of  Israel;  i.e.,  praised  be  the  One, 
True  God,  as  distinguished  from  all  false  gods. 

Because  he  hath  visited,  etc.  The  reference  here  is  to  the  In- 
carnation of  the  Son  of  God  in  Mary's  womb,  which  had  been 
made  known  to  Zachary  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

And  wrought  the  redemption,  etc.  Zachary  spoke  in  the  past 
tense,  feeling  that  the  Redemption  already  begun  in  the  Incarna- 
tion of  the  Son  of  God  was  certain  of  accomplishment.  Some 
think  that  he  spoke  of  the  future  event,  as  already  past,  in  accord- 
ance with  prophetic  usage. 

69.  An  horn  of  salvation.  The  term  "  horn  "  is  frequently  used 
in  the  Scriptures  to  denote  power,  strength ;  the  figure  is  taken  from 
the  strength  which  resides  in  the  horns  of  animals.  '*  Horn  of 
salvation  "  here  refers  to  the  Powerful  King,  the  Messiah,  who 
was  to  be  born. 

House  of  his  servant  David,  because  from  the  'louse,  or  line  of 
David,  the  Messiah  was  to  come. 

70.  As  he  spoke,  etc. :  i.e.,  as  He  had  promised  through  the 
true  prophets,  who  were  from  the  beginning  of  the  world. 

71.  Salvation  from  our  enemies,  etc.    The  ancient  prophets  had 


278  ST.  LUKE  I,  72-78 

^2.  To  perform  mercy  to  our  fathers,  and  to  remember  his  hoi}'  testament, 
Ti-  The  oath,  which  he  swore  to  Abraham  our  father,  that  he  would  grant 
to  us, 

74.  That  being  delivered  from  the  hand  of  our  enemies,  we  may  serve  him 
without  fear, 

75.  In  holiness  and  justice  before  him,  all  our  days. 

76.  And  thou,  child,  shalt  be  called  the  prophet  of  the  Highest :  for  thou 
shalt  go  before  the  face  of  the  Lord  to  prepare  his  ways : 

T].  To  give  knowledge  of  salvation  to  his  people,  unto  the  remission  of 
their  sins : 

78.  Through  the  bowels  of  the  mercy  of  our  God,  in  which  the  Orient 
from  on  high  hath  visited  us : 

foretold  the  deliverance  of  God's  people  from  their  enemies,  and  now 
Zachary  interprets  their  meaning  as  referring  to  spiritual  enemies. 

y2.  To  perform  mercy,  etc. ;  i.e.,  Almighty  God  had  raised  up 
the  Messiah,  the  Powerful  King,  in  accordance  with  His  merciful 
promise,  made  to  the  Patriarchs,  that  a  Redeemer  should  deliver 
them  from  their  sins. 

His  holy  testament.  This  was  the  covenant  which  God  had 
made  with  Abraham  (Gen.  xvii.  7-9;  xxii.  16-18),  which  embraced 
three  things: — (a)  that  he  should  have  a  numerous  progeny; 
(b)  that  he  should  inherit  the  Land  of  Canaan;  (c)  that,  in  his 
seed,  all  nations  should  be  blessed. 

73.  The  oath;  i.e..  His  promise  to  keep  His  covenant. 

74.  Without  fear;  i.e.,  without  inordinate  and  immoderate  fear, 
76.  For  thou  shalt  go  before,  etc.    These  words   refer  to  the 

prophecy  of  Malachy  (iii.  i),  and  are  regarded  as  a  proof  of 
the  Divinity  of  Christ,  because  He,  of  whom  John  was  the  Pre- 
cursor, is  called  "  The  Highest  "  and  "  The  Lord.'' 

'jy.  To  give  knowledge,  etc.  John's  office  was  to  preach  the 
baptism  of  penance,  and  thereby  dispose  the  hearts  and  minds  of 
men  for  the  reception  of  Christ  and  His  teaching,  through  which 
the  remission  of  their  sins  was  to  be  obtained. 

78.  Through  the  bowels  of  the  mercy,  etc.  The  phrase 
"  through  the  bowels  "  is  not  infrequent  in  Scripture,  and  signifies 
intense  feeling,  sympathy,  etc. 

The  Orient;  i.e.,  "the  dawn."  There  is  reference  here  to  the 
Sun.  Just  as  the  Sun  is  said  to  rise  over  the  world  of  darkness, 
so  our  Lord  the  "  Sun  of  Justice  "  rose  over  the  world  enveloped 
in  the  darkness  of  sin  and  ignorance.    Cf .  Isa.  ix.  2 ;  Mai.  iv.  2. 


ST.  LUKE  I,  79,  80;  II,  1,  2  279 

79.  To  enlighten  them  that  sit  in  darkness,  and  in  the  shadow  of  death :  to 
direct  our  feet  into  the  way  of  peace. 

80.  And  the  child  grew,  and  was  strengthened  in  spirit;  and  was  in  the 
deserts  until  the  day  of  his  manifestation  to  Israel. 

79.  In  darkness.  The  darkness  here  referred  to  must  be  taken 
in  its  spiritual  sense,  the  result  of  sinfulness  and  ignorance,  which 
oppressed  the  entire  human  race  before  the  coming  of  Christ. 


CHAPTER  II 

Jesus  is  Born  in  Bethlehem,  1-20. 

The    Circumcision    and    Presentation    in    the 

Temple,  21-38. 
The  Infancy  of  Jesus,  39,  40. 
Jesus  Among  the  Doctors  in  the  Temple,  41-52. 

1.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  in  those  days  there  went  out  a  decree  from 
Caesar  Augustus,  that  the  whole  world  should  be  enrolled. 

2.  This  enrolling  was  first  made  by  Cyrinus,  the  governor  of  Syria. 

1.  And  it  came  to  pass,  etc. ;  i.e.,  it  happened  in  accordance  with 
the  decrees  of  Divine  Providence,  that,  soon  after  the  birth  and 
circumcision  of  John  the  Baptist,  a  decree  emanated  from  the 
Roman  Emperor  that  the  census  of  the  whole  Roman  Empire 
should  be  taken.  The  object  of  this  census  was  most  probably 
for  the  sake  of  increasing  the  tax  income. 

Caesar  Augustus,  who  was  the  first  Roman  Emperor,  and 
grand  nephew  of  Julius  Caesar.  Augustus  reigned  forty-three 
years.     Christ  was  born  around  the  25th  year  of  his  reign. 

2.  This  enrolling  was  first  made  by  Cyrinus,  etc.  This  verse 
causes  a  difficulty,  because  Tertullian  (Adv.  Marc.  iv.  7.  19)  tells 
us  that  the  census  was  taken  by  Sentius  Saturninus.  The  difficulty 
is  first  explained  by  saying  that  the  census  was  taken  by  S.  Saturni- 
nus (then  Governor  of  Syria),  but  under  the  direction  of  Cyrinus, 
who  was  especially  appointed  for  this  purpose  by  the  Emperor,  and 
who,  ten  years  later,  became  Governor  of  Syria.  St.  Luke  there- 
fore speaks  of  Cyrinus  as  the  Governor  of  Syria,  most  probably, 
because  he  was  later  appointed  to  that  office.  Another  good  ex- 
planation is  that  this  particular  census  was  begun  bv  Saturninus 


28o  ST.  LUKE  II,  3-6 

3.  And  all  went  to  be  enrolled,  every  one  into  his  own  city. 

4.  And  Joseph  also  went  up  from  Galilee,  out  of  the  city  of  Nazareth  into 
Judea,  to  the  city  of  David,  which  is  called  Bethlehem:  because  he  was  of  the 
house  and  family  of  David,    • 

5.  To  be  enrolled  with  Mary  his  espoused  wife,  who  was  with  child. 

6.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  when  they  were  there,  her  days  were  accom- 
plished, that  she  should  be  delivered. 

and  Quintilius  Varus,  but  was  brought  to  a  close  by  their  successor, 
Cyrinus,  who,  consequently,  gave  his  name  to  it.  According  to 
Mommsen  (Res  gestae  divi  Augusti)  and  Zumt  (De  Syria  Romana 
Proznncia)  Cyrinus  was  twice  governor  of  Syria,  —  first  from  750- 
753  of  Rome,  when  this  "  first  "  census  was  completed ;  and  a  second 
time  from  759-765,  when  another,  or  second  census  was  taken, 
which  caused  a  great  revolt  in  Galilee.  The  second  census  is  men- 
tioned by  St.  Luke  in  Acts  v.  37,  and  by  Josephus  in  Jezmsh  Ant. 
xviii.  I. 

3.  Everyone  into  his  own  city ;  i.e.,  into  the  city  from  which  the 
head  of  his  family  had  sprung.  Bethlehem  was  the  City  of  David, 
and  this  is  why  Joseph  and  Mary,  who  were  of  the  family  of 
David,  went  thither.  The  Jewish  custom  required  that  each  one 
should  be  enrolled  in  the  place  where  his  ancestors  were  born,  and 
this  census  seems  to  have  been  taken  by  the  local  authorities  and 
according  to  the  custom  of  the  Jews. 

4.  Bethlehem  means  "  house  of  bread."  It  was  situated  on  a 
ridge  of  hills  about  seven  miles  south  of  Jerusalem,  and  eighty 
miles  from  Nazareth. 

5.  With  Mary.  Both  Joseph  and  Mary  went  to  Jerusalem  to  be 
enrolled,  because  women,  as  well  as  men,  had  to  be  enrolled  when 
there  was  a  question  —  as  most  likely  in  the  present  instance  —  of 
capitation-tax.  Women  were  inscribed  upon  the  public  registers 
only  when,  having  no  brothers,  they  inherited  the  paternal  property. 
Hence  Mary,  who  seems  to  have  had  no  brothers,  went  to  be  en- 
rolled most  likely  under  the  title  of  heiress.  Some  say  that  the 
obligation  of  enrollment  was  imposed  upon  all  the  women  of  Israel. 
At  any  rate  the  law  made  subject  to  personal  tax  all  women  between 
the  ages  of  twelve  and  sixty  years.  Cf.  Ulpianus,  D.  L.  XV.  De 
Censibus. 

6.  When  they  were  there,  etc.  It  is  the  opinion  of  some  that 
our  Lord  was  born  immediately  after  Joseph  and  Mary   reached 


ST.  LUKE  II,  7-10  281 

7.  And  she  brought  forth  her  firstborn  son,  and  wrapped  him  up  in  swad- 
dUng  clothes,  and  laid  him  in  a  manger ;  because  there  was  no  room  for  them 
in  the  inn. 

8.  And  there  were  in  the  same  country  shepherds  watching,  and  keeping  the 
night  watches  over  their  flock. 

9.  And  behold  an  angel  of  the  Lord  stood  by  them,  and  the  brightness  of 
God  shone  round  about  them ;  and  they  feared  with  a  great  fear. 

10.  And  the  angel  said  to  them  :  Fear  not ;  for,  behold,  1  bring  you  good 
tidings  of  great  joy,  that  shall  be  to  all  the  people : 

Bethlehem ;  others  think  the  nativity  occurred  during  a  few  days 
which  they  spent  there,  either  before  or  after  the  enrollment. 

7.  And  she  brought  forth,  etc.  The  Blessed  Virgin  gave  birth 
to  our  Lord,  not  only  without  detriment  to  her  virginity,  but  also 
without  the  pain,  labor,  and  fatigue  which  are  experienced  by  ordi- 
nary mothers. 

Her  first-born  son.  He  is  called  the  "  first-born,"  because  special 
rights  and  duties  fell  to  the  lot  of  the  first-born.  According  to  the 
almost  universal  tradition  of  the  Church  our  Lord  was  born  on 
December  25. 

And  laid  him  in  a  manger.  These  words  show  that  our  Lord 
was  born  in  a  stable ;  both  tradition  and  modern  research  are  agreed 
that  this  stable  was  a  cave  hewn  out  of  a  rock,  into  which  animals, 
especially  sheep,  were  driven  during  storms,  and  for  shelter  at 
night.  The  inns  at  Bethlehem  were  all  filled  with  the  multitudes 
who  had  come  there  for  enrollment. 

8.  In  the  same  country;  i.e..  in  the  neighborhood  of  Bethlehem. 
Shepherds    watching,    etc.    The    Greek    word    for   watching   is 

aypav\ovvTes,  which  literally  means,  "  dwelling  in  the  fields."  It 
was  not  extraordinary  that  shepherds  with  their  flocks  should  be 
in  the  fields  at  this  season  of  the  year.  Experienced  travelers  tell 
us  that  the  end  of  December  in  Palestine  is  often  the  most  agree- 
able time  of  the  year.  Even  to-day,  after  the  December  rains,  the 
Arabs  leave  their  dwellings  about  the  middle  of  the  month  and 
go  down  into  the  plains  with  their  flocks. 

9.  Stood  by  them,  —  rather,  "  came  upon  them  "  {kTrecrrr]).  And 
they  feared,  etc.,  because  the  Jews  believed  that  whoever  saw  an 
angel  must  die  (Judges  vi.  22,  23  ;  xiii.  22). 

10.  That  shall  be  to  all  the  people;  i.e..  to  all  the  Jewish  people. 
Our  Lord  was  to  be  in  realitv  the  Saviour  of  all  men,  both  Jews 


282  ST.  LUKE  II,  11-17 

11.  For,  this  day,  is  born  to  you  a  Saviour,  who  is  Christ  the  Lord,  in  the 
city  of  David. 

12.  And  this  shall  be  a  sign  unto  you.  You  shall  find  the  infant  wrapped  in 
swaddling  clothes,  and  laid  in  a  manger. 

13.  And  suddenly  there  was  with  the  angel  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly 
army,  praising  God,  and  saying : 

14.  Glory  to  God  in  the  highest;  and  on  earth  peace  to  men  of  good  will. 

15.  And  it  came  to  pass,  after  the  angels  departed  from  them  into  heaven, 
the  shepherds  said  one  to  another :  Let  us  go  over  to  Bethlehem,  and  let  us  see 
this  word  that  is  come  to  pass,  which  the  Lord  hath  shewed  to  us. 

16.  And  they  came  with  haste ;  and  they  found  Mary  and  Joseph,  and  the 
infant  lying  in  the  manger. 

17.  And  seeing,  they  understood  of  the  word  that  had  been  spoken  to  them 
concerning  this  child. 

and  Gentiles,  but  the  angels  perhaps  did  not  know  that  He  was  to 
be  the  Saviour  of  the  Gentiles  also. 

11.  Christ  the  Lord;  i.e.,  the  Anointed,  the  Messiah. 

12.  And  laid  in  a  manger.  The  stable  and  manger  here  referred 
to  were  doubtless  well  known  to  all  the  shepherds  of  that  neighbor- 
hood; otherwise  the  angel  would  have  designated  more  definitely 
the  manger  in  which  our  Lord  lay. 

13.  A  multitude  of  the  heavenly  army;  i.e.,  a  great  number  of 
angels  who,  because  of  their  number,  power,  and  obedience  to  the 
commands  of  God,  are  spoken  of  as  belonging  to  an  "  army." 

14.  Peace  to  men  of  good  will;  i.e.,  peace  and  tranquillity  of 
mind  and  soul  to  all  men,  who,  through  the  gracious  mystery  of 
the  Incarnation,  are  shown  to  be  objects  of  God's  good-will  and 
pleasure.  The  word,  ev8oKla,  here  translated  "  good-will  "  is  used 
in  the  New  Testament  to  signify  God's  good-pleasure  in  saving 
men  through  Christ. 

15.  This  word  that  is  come  to  pass.  The  term  "  word  "  here, 
as  in  other  places,  simply  means  thing,  i.e.,  this  event  which  the 
angels  had  announced.     Cf.  on  i.  37. 

Which  the  Lord  hath  showed  to  us ;  i.e.,  hath  "  revealed  "  to 
us.  These  words  indicate  that  the  shepherds  had  received  an  in- 
terior revelation  from  God  to  know  the  importance  of  the  angelic 
announcement. 

16.  They  came  with  haste.  The  shepherds  were  perhaps  some 
little  distance  from  the  stable,  some  say  about  a  mile. 

17.  They  understood  of  the  word;  i.e.,  they  understood  the 
meanino-  of  the  announcement. 


ST.  LUKE  II,  18-24  283 

18.  And  all  that  heard,  wondered ;  and  at  those  things  that  were  told  them 
by  the  shepherds. 

19.  But  Mary  kept  all  these  words,  pondering  them  in  her  heart. 

20.  And  the  shepherds  returned,  glorifying  and  praising  God,  for  all  the 
things  they  had  heard  and  seen,  as  it  was  told  unto  them. 

21.  And  after  eight  days  were  accomplished,  that  the  child  should  be  cir- 
cumcised, his  name  was  called  Jesus,  which  was  called  by  the  angel,  before  he 
was  conceived  in  the  womb. 

22.  And  after  the  days  of  her  purification,  according  to  the  law  of  Moses, 
were  accomplished,  they  carried  him  to  Jerusalem,  to  present  him  to  the  Lord  : 

23.  As  it  is  written  in  the  law  of  the  Lord :  Every  male  opening  the  womb 
shall  be  called  holy  to  the  Lord : 

24.  And  to  offer  a  sacrifice,  according  as  it  is  written  in  the  law  of  the 
Lord,  a  pair  of  turtledoves,  or  two  young  pigeons : 

18.  And  at  those  things,  etc.  The  ''  and  "  at  the  beginning  of 
this  clause  is  not  found  in  the  Greek  and  Syriac  texts  of  St.  Luke ; 
hence  there  should  be  no  stop  after  "  wondered." 

19.  Pondered  them  in  her  heart.  While  others  wondered  and 
talked  about  the  marvellous  things  that  had  occurred  in  connection 
with  the  birth  of  our  Lord,  Mary  remained  silent,  quietly  revolving 
in  her  mind  the  great  mystery  of  the  Redemption,  and  the  ancient 
prophecies,  which  had  foretold  it. 

21.  After  eight  days;  i.e.,  on  the  eighth  day,  when  it  was  re- 
quired, according  to  the  Law,  that  the  child  should  be  circumcised. 

Circumcised.  Our  Lord  submitted  to  this  painful  operation,  not 
because  He  stood  in  any  need  of  it,  since  He  was  spotless;  but  in 
order :  (a)  to  show  respect  and  obedience  to  the  existing  Law  ;  (b)  in 
order  that  the  Jews  might  have  no  pretext  for  accusing  and  rejecting 
Him  ;  (c)  to  give  sanction  to  the  rite  of  circumcision.  The  ceremony 
of  circumcision  was  performed,  according  to  Jewish  custom,  not  in 
the  Temple,  but  at  the  home  of  the  family,  —  in  the  case  of  our  Lord 
—  in  the  cave.  It  was  ordinarily  performed  by  the  father,  or  head  of 
the  family,  and  in  the  presence  of  ten  witnesses,  who  attested  the 
child's  enrollment  among  the  theocratic  people. 

22-24.  After  the  days  of  her  purification,  etc. ;  i.e.,  on  the  for- 
tieth day  after  the  birth  of  her  son.  According  to  the  Law  of 
Moses  (Lev.  xii.  1-6),  a  mother  remained  "unclean"  forty  days 
after  the  birth  of  a  male  child,  and  eighty  days  after  the  birth  of 
a  female  child;  at  the  end  of  these  periods,  she  was  to  present 
herself  in  the  Temple,  to  be  purified  by  certain  ceremonies. 

Another  enactment  of  the  Law  (Lev.  xii.  6-8)  required  a  mother 


284  ST.  LUKE  II,  25-29 

25.  And  behold  there  was  a  man  in  Jerusalem  named  Simeon,  and  this  man 
was  just  and  devout,  waiting  for  the  consolation  of  Israel ;  and  the  Holy 
Ghost  was  in  him. 

26.  And  he  had  received  an  answer  from  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  he  should 
not  see  death,  before  he  had  seen  the  Christ  of  the  Lord. 

27.  And  he  came  by  the  Spirit  into  the  temple.  And  when  his  parents 
brought  in  the  child  Jesus,  to  do  for  him  according  to  the  custom  of  the  law, 

28.  He  also  took  him  into  his  arms,  and  blessed  God,  and  said : 

29.  Now  thou  dost  dismiss  thy  servant,  O  Lord,  according  to  thy  word  in 
peace ; 

at  her  purification,  to  offer  in  the  Temple  to  the  priests  a  lamb,  one 
year  old,  for  a  holocaust,  and  a  turtle-dove,  or  young  pigeon,  for 
a  sin  offering,  provided  the  parents  were  rich ;  if  the  family  was 
poor,  two  turtle  doves,  or  two  young  pigeons,  one  for  a  holocaust 
and  the  other  for  a  sin  offering,  were  to  be  offered.  As  the  Blessed 
Virgin  was  poor,  she  made  the  second  offering. 

According  to  a  third  enactment  of  the  Law  (Exod.  xiii.  2; 
Num.  xviii.  15),  the  child,  if  a  first-born,  belonged  to  God,  and 
was  to  be  a  priest  of  the  family,  unless  redeemed  by  an  offering 
of  five  shekels. 

Since  the  Blessed  Virgin  brought  forth  her  son  without  any 
physical  or  moral  defilement,  she  was  not  held  by  the  Law  of 
Purification  (Lev.  xii.  1-6),  neither,  perhaps,  by  the  Law  requiring 
the  mother  to  redeem  her  first-born  (Exod.  xiii.  2).  She  sub- 
mitted, however,  to  both,  in  order  to  give  a  good  example,  and  to 
show  obedience  and  respect  for  the  Law. 

25.  Waiting  for  the  consolation  of  Israel;  i.e.,  waiting  for  the 
Christ,  the  Messiah,  who  was  expected  to  be  the  Saviour  and 
consoler  of  Israel. 

The  Holy  Ghost  was  in  him,  —  rendering  him  pleasing  to  God 
through  sanctifying  grace,  and  endowing  him  with  the  gift  of 
prophecy. 

26.  An  answer  here  means  an  interior  assurance.  The  Christ 
of  the  Lord;  i.e.,  the  Messiah. 

27.  And  he  came  by  the  Spirit  into  the  temple;  i.e.,  under  the 
direction  and  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Ghost  he  came  to  the  Temple. 

28.  And  blessed  God;  i.e.,  he  thanked  the  Eternal  Father  for 
having  fulfilled  His  promise  by  giving  to  the  world  a  Redeemer. 

29.  Here  begins  the  Canticle  of  Simeon,  the  third  canticle  of  the 
New  Testament. 


ST.  LUKE  II,  30-34  285 

30.  Because  my  eyes  have  seen  thy  salvation, 

31.  Which  thou  hast  prepared  before  the  face  of  all  peoples: 

2,2.  A  light  to  the  revelation  of  the  Gentiles,  and  the  glory  of  thy  people 
Israel. 

2^.  And  his  father  and  mother  were  wondering  at  those  things  which  were 
spoken  concerning  him. 

34.  And  Simeon  blessed  them,  and  said  to  Mary  his  mother :  Behold  this 
child  is  set  for  the  fall,  and  for  the  resurrection  of  many  in  Israel,  and  for  a 
sign  which  shall  be  contradicted ; 

Thou  dost  dismiss  thy  servant,  —  literally,  "  Thou  dost  loosen 
or  dissolve  (d7roX6ets)  thy  servant."  The  meaning  is,  that,  since 
Simeon  had  lived  to  see  the  Christ,  he  was  willing  that  God  should 
take  him  from  this  world. 

According  to  thy  word  in  peace;  i.e.,  according  to  Thy  promise. 
Simeon  thought  the  fulfillment  of  the  promise  that  he  should  live  to 
see  the  Christ,  implied  the  further  promise  to  call  him  to  his  reward. 

30.  Thy  salvation;  i.e.,  the  Only-begotten  Son  of  God,  who  in 
Scripture  is  often  called  "Salvation."  Cf.  Gen.  xlix.  18;  Isa. 
xxxiii.  2;  Ps.  1.  14. 

31.  Before  the  face  of  all  peoples;  i.e.,  for  all  Jews  and  Gentiles 
alike,  to  all  of  whom  our  Lord  was  to  be  a  Saviour. 

32.  A  light  to  the  revelation  of  the  Gentiles  .  .  .  glory  of  thy 
people,  etc.  Our  Lord  was  a  light  to  deliver  the  Gentiles  from  the 
darkness  of  sin  and  ignorance,  and  He  was  also  the  glory  of  the 
Jewish  people,  among  whom  He  was  bom,  among  whom  He 
preached,  worked  miracles  and  passed  His  earthly  life. 

33.  Were  wondering.  Mary  and  Joseph  wondered  at  the 
prophecy  of  Simeon  and  doubtless  also  at  many  of  the  details  of 
our  Lord's  future  mission  which  Simeon  pointed  out.  They  knew 
very  well  that  their  child  was  the  Son  of  God,  but  all  the  details 
of  His  ministry,  especially  in  regard  to  the  Gentiles,  even  His 
mother  most  likely  did  not  know. 

34.  And  Simeon  blessed  them.  From  this  some  believe  Simeon 
to.  have  been  a  priest ;  but  it  is  improbable  that  he  was,  otherwise 
St.  Luke  would  have  told  us  so.  The  blessing  Simeon  gave  Mary 
and  Joseph  was,  therefore,  that  which  it  was  customary  for  vener- 
able and  holy  men  to  confer. 

This  child  is  set  for  the  fall,  etc.  The  Saviour  was  directly  in- 
tended by  Almighty  God  to  raise  many  in  Israel   from  a  state  of 


286  ST.  LUKE  II,  35-38 

35.  And  thy  own  soul  a  sword  shall  pierce,  that,  out  of  many  hearts, 
thoughts  may  be  revealed. 

36.  And  there  was  one  Anna,  a  prophetess,  the  daughter  of  Phanuel,  of  the 
tribe  of  Aser ;  she  was  far  advanced  in  years,  and  had  lived  with  her  husband 
seven  years  from  her  virginity. 

37.  And  she  was  a  widow  until  fourscore  and  four  years ;  who  departed  not 
from  the  temple,  by  fastings  and  prayers  serving  night  and  day. 

38.  Now  she,  at  the  same  hour,  coming  in,  confessed  to  the  Lord ;  and  spoke 
of  him  to  all  that  looked  for  the  redemption  of  Israel. 

sin  and  ignorance;  He  became  at  the  same  time  the  occasion  of 
the  fall  and  ruin  of  many,  who  through  their  own  perversity  rejected 
Him  and  His  doctrine. 

And  for  a  sign,  etc.  Our  Lord  was  not  only  a  sign,  but  He  was 
in  reality  a  Redeemer  and  a  Saviour;  but  there  were  to  be  many 
who  by  their  own  obstinacy  would  make  Him  the  opposite  in  their 
regard. 

35.  A  sword  shall  pierce.  Simeon  is  here  prophesying  the 
dolors  which  Mary  in  future  was  to  suffer  as  a  consequence  of  the 
future  sufferings,  Passion,  and  death  of  her  divine  Son. 

That  out  of  many  hearts,  etc.  Some  connect  this  clause  with 
the  end  of  the  preceding  verse,  in  which  case  the  meaning  would 
be,  that  our  Lord  was  to  be  the  cause  or  the  occasion  of  making 
manifest  what  were  the  thoughts  and  dispositions  of  many  in 
Israel;  some,  like  Mary,  Joseph,  Simeon,  Zachary,  Elizabeth,  the 
Apostles,  etc.,  would  show  the  sincerity  of  their  thoughts  and  senti- 
ments, by  welcoming  the  advent  and  the  teachings  of  the  Messiah ; 
others,  like  the  Pharisees,  would  deceitfully  plot  against  and  reject 
Him.  Other  commentators,  however,  connect  the  above  words  with 
the  preceding  clause ;  and  for  them  the  meaning  would  be  that  the 
sorrows  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  would  be  the  cause  of  producing  in 
the  hearts  of  many  a  belief  in  her  Son. 

36.  Anna  means  "  grace."  She  was  far  advanced  in  years, 
about  eighty-four  years  old  (verse  37). 

Seven  years  from  her  virginity;  i.e.,  she  had  been  a  virgin  up 
to  the  time  of  her  marriage,  and  had  thereafter  lived  seven  years 
in  the  married  state.    She  was  fifteen  years  old  when  married. 

37.  Who  departed  not  from  the  temple,  etc.  These  words 
simply  mean  that  a  great  part  of  her  time  was  spent  in  the  Temple. 

38.  Coming  in,  —  rather  "coming  up"   (  einaTaffa)  towards  the 


ST.  LUKE  II,  39-43  287 

39.  And  after  they  had  performed  all  things  according  to  the  law  of  the 
Lord,  they  returned  into  Galilee,  to  their  city  Nazareth. 

40.  And  the  child  grew,  and  waxed  strong,  full  of  wisdom ;  and  the  grace 
of  God  was  in  him. 

41.  And  his  parents  went  every  year  to  Jerusalem,  at  the  solemn  day  of  the 
pasch, 

42.  And  when  he  was  twelve  years  old,  they  going  up  into  Jerusalem,  ac- 
cording to  the  custom  of  the  feast, 

43.  And  having  fulfilled  the  days,  when  they  returned,  the  child  Jesus  re- 
mained in  Jerusalem ;  and  his  parents  knew  it  not. 

Holy  Family  from  the  place  she  had  been  occupying  in  the  Temple. 
Anna's  confession  was  the  second  testimony  to  our  Lord's  Divinity 
given  at  His  presentation  in  the  Temple. 

39.  They  returned  into  Galilee.  St.  Luke  makes  no  mention  of 
the  visit  of  the  Magi  and  of  the  flight  into  Egypt,  perhaps  because 
these  events  had  already  been  treated  by  St.  Matthew.  St.  Luke 
does  not  say  just  when  the  Holy  Family  went  to  Nazareth,  he 
merely  wishes  to  state  that  whereas  our  Lord  had  been  born  at 
Bethlehem,  He  afterwards  had  His  home  at  Nazareth.  It  is  also 
probable  that  St.  Luke  knew  nothing  about  the  visit  of  the  Magi 
and  the  flight  into  Egypt.     See  on  Matthew  ii.  i. 

40.  Child  grew  .  .  .  full  of  wisdom.  Our  Lord  progressed  phys- 
ically as  did  other  children,  thereby  proving  the  reality  of  His 
human  body.  He  also  appeared  externally  and  in  the  sight  of  man 
to  advance  in  wisdom  and  knowledge,  but  internally  He  could  have 
no  increase  in  knowledge,  because  from  the  first  moment  of  His 
Incarnation  *'  in  him  were  hidden  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom," 
etc.  (Coloss.  ii.  3).  Experimentally,  however,  there  was  progress 
in  our  Lord's  knowledge. 

41.  His  parents  went  every  year,  etc.  The  Law  of  Moses  re- 
quired all  men  to  go  to  Jerusalem  and  ofifer  sacrifice  three  times 
each  year,  —  at  the  festivals  of  Pasch,  Pentecost,  and  Tabernacles. 
Boys  at  the  age  of  twelve,  which  is  the  age  of  virility  among 
Orientals,  fell  under  this  law,  and  hence  our  Lord  was  obliged  to 
be  present  the  year  mentioned  here  (verse  42).  It  was  not  obliga- 
tory upon  women  to  attend  these  festivals,  but  it  was  a  pious  prac- 
tice, to  which  our  Lady  was  doubtless  always  faithful. 

43.  Having  fulfilled  the  days;  i.e.,  when  the  octave  of  the  fes- 
tival was  over.  The  child  Jesus  remained,  etc.  It  was  a  part 
of  the  plan  of  Divine  Providence  that  our  Lord  should  remain  in 


288  ST.  LUKE  II,  44-49 

44.  And  thinking  that  he  was  in  the  company,  they  came  a  day's  journey, 
and  sought  him  among  their  kinsfolks  and  acquaintance. 

45.  And  not  finding  him,  they  returned  into  Jerusalem,  seeking  him. 

46.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that,  after  three  days,  they  found  him  in  the  temple, 
sitting  in  the  midst  of  the  doctors,  hearing  them,  and  asking  them  questions. 

47.  And  all  that  heard  him  were  astonished  at  his  wisdom  and  his  answers. 

48.  And  seeing  him,  they  wondered.    And  his  mother  said  to  him  :  Son,  why 
hast  thou  done  so  to  us?  behold  thy  father  and  I  have  sought  thee  sorrowing. 

49.  And  he  said  to  them :  How  is  it  that  you  sought  me?  did  you  not  know, 
that  I  must  be  about  my  father's  business? 


Jerusalem  this  particular  year,  after  the  departure  of  the  rest.  It 
was  not  due  to  negligence  on  the  part  of  Mary  and  Joseph  that  the 
child  Jesus  was  left  behind,  because  it  was  customary  for  people 
of  the  same  neighborhood  to  travel  in  different  companies  during 
the  day  without  distinction  of  families  until  they  halted  at  eve- 
ning; hence,  Mary  and  Joseph  thought  our  Lord  to  be  in  some  one 
of  the  several  companies  of  their  neighborhood.  Some  say  it  was 
also  customary  for  the  men  to  travel  in  one  company  and  the 
women  in  another,  and  thus  Joseph  supposed  the  Child  10  be  with 
Mary,  and  Mary  supposed  Him  to  be  with  Joseph. 

44.  A  day's  journey.  The  Holy  Family,  Joseph  and  Mary,  had 
proceeded  about  a  third  of  the  distance  from  Jerusalem  back  to 
Nazareth,  when  at  night-fall,  they  discovered  that  Jesus  was  not 
with  them. 

46.  After  three  days.  They  had  proceeded  a  day's  journey  from 
the  Holy  City,  a  second  day  was  consumed  in  returning;  and  the 
third  day  they  found  our  Lord  "  in  the  temple,"  that  is,  in  the 
Court,  or  in  that  part  of  the  Temple  in  which  the  Doctors  were 
accustomed  to  assemble  for  public  instruction  and  disputation.  Our 
Lord  was  most  probably  speaking  to  the  Doctors  about  the  Messiah 
and  the  prophecies  which  concerned  His  mission  and  life. 

48.  They  wondered,  —  not  that  Mary  and  Joseph  were  unaware 
that  their  son  was  the  true  Son  of  God,  but  they  were  surprised 
at  this  sudden  and  unexpected  appearance  of  their  child  in  public. 

Son,  why  hast  thou  done  so,  etc.  These  words  do  not  imply 
any  reproof  on  the  part  of  Mary.  They  simply  express  the  sorrow 
and  anxiety  which  filled  the  mother's  and  Joseph's  hearts. 

49.  Did  you  not  know,  etc.  Neither  do  these  words  of  our  Lord 
contain  a  rebuke  to  His  mother.    Our  Lord  was  simply  calling  her 


ST.  LUKE  11,  50-52;  III,   1  289 

50.  And  they  understood  not  the  word  that  he  spoke  unto  them. 

51.  And  he  went  down  with  them,  and  came  to  Nazareth,  and  was  subject 
to  them.    And  his  mother  kept  all  these  words  in  her  heart. 

52.  And  Jesus  advanced  in  wisdom,  and  age,  and  grace  with  God  and  men. 

attention  to  the  fact  that  the  Father's  business,  which  He  had  come 
on  earth  to  perform,  was  His  most'  important  duty. 

50.  And  they  understood  not  the  word,  etc. ;  i.e.,  neither  Mary 
nor  Joseph  fully  understood  the  connection  between  the  great  work 
of  Redemption,  which  our  Lord  came  to  perform,  and  this  early 
public  appearance  of  His  in  the  Temple.  It  is  not  derogatory  to 
the  Blessed  Virgin  to  say  that,  while  full  of  grace,  she  did  not, 
from  the  beginning,  have  the  fullness  of  knowledge  of  all  things 
relating  to  the  mystery  of  the  Redemption. 

51.  And  was  subject  to  them.  These  words  show  the  great 
reverence  and  respect  of  our  Lord  towards  His  Blessed  Mother 
and  foster  father,  for  whom  He  labored,  and  to  whom  He  was 
obediently  subject  until  He  was  about  thirty  years  of  age. 

His  mother  kept  all  these  words  in  her  heart.  The  Blessed 
Virgin  constantly  meditated  on  the  words  and  actions  of  her  Divine 
Son,  and  their  relations  to  the  great  mysteries  of  the  Incarnation 
and  Redemption. 

52.  Jesus  advanced  in  wisdom,  etc.    See  above,  verse  40. 


CHAPTER   III 

The  Mission  and  Prkaching  of  John  the  Bap- 
tist, 1-14. 
The  Baptist  Renders  Testimony  to  Jesus,  15-18. 
John  the  Baptist  is  Imprisoned,  19,  20. 
The  Baptism  of  Jesus,  21,  22. 
The  Genealogy  of  Jesus.  23-38. 

I.  Now  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  the  reign  of  Tiberius  Caesar,  Pontius  Pilate 
being  governor  of  Judea,  and  Herod  being  tetrarch  of  Galilee,  and  Philip  his 
brother  tetrarch  of  Iturca,  and  the  country  of  Trachonitis,  and  Lysanias 
tetrarch  of  Abilina ; 

I.  In  the  fifteenth  year.  This  was  about  779  of  Rome,  or  a.d.  26. 
Tiberius  Caesar  succeeded  Augustus,  his  predecessor,  a.  v.  c.  767; 
but  he  became  associated  with  Augustus,  as  joint-Emperor,  after  his 


290  ST.  LUKE  III,  2 

2.  Under  the  high  priests  Annas  and  Caiphas;  the  word  of  the  Lord  was 
made  unto  John,  the  son  of  Zachary,  in  the  desert. 

triumph  over  the  Pannonians  and  Dalmatians,  in  a.  u.  c.  765,  and 
it  is  from  this  latter  date  that  St.  Luke  is  here  reckoning. 

Pontius  Pilate  being  governor  of  Judea.  After  the  deposition 
and  banishment  of  Archelaus,  a.d.  6,  Judea  was  governed  by  a 
Procurator,  or  Deputy  Governor,  subject  to  the  Roman  Proconsul 
of  Syria.  Pilate  was  the  fifth  or  sixth  successor  to  this  office  of 
Deputy  Governorship,  and  ruled  for  ten  years,  a.d.  27  to  37.  He 
was  deposed  for  his  cruelties  and  unpopularity  with  the  Jews  and 
Samaritans,  and  was  exiled  by  Caius,  the  successor  of  Tiberius. 
Pilate  finally  committed  suicide. 

Herod  being  tetrarch  of  Galilee.  This  was  Herod  Antipas,  who. 
put  to  death  John  the  Baptist,  and  mocked  our  Lord  in  His  Passion. 

Philip  .  .  .  tetrarch  of  Iturea.  This  Philip  was  son  of  Herod 
the  Great  and  Cleopatra  of  Jerusalem.  Ituraea  was  a  barren  region, 
east  of  Galilee,  inhabited  mostly  by  outlaws  and  robbers. 

Trachonitis  was  south  of  Ituraea,  and  also  a  desolate  region,  full 
of  bandits  and  robbers.  Ituraea  and  Trachonitis  are  mentioned 
nowhere  else  in  the  Bible. 

Lysanias,  tetrarch  of  Abilina.  Lysanias  was  probably  not  a  Jew. 
His  territory,  called  from  its  principal  city,  Abila,  was  north  of  Ituraea, 
and  was  never  a  part  of  the  original  kingdom  of  Herod  the  Great. 

2.  Annas  and  Caiphas.  The  office  of  High-Priest,  according  to 
Jewish  law,  could  be  occupied  by  one  only  at  a  time,  and  that  for 
life.  But,  owing  to  the  corruptions  introduced  by  the  Romans,  it 
became  the  prize  of  the  highest  bidder.  Thus,  Annas,  who  was 
appointed  High-Priest  by  Cyrinus,  the  Governor,  in  a.d.  7,  was 
deposed  in  a.d.  14.  Caiphas  was  made  High-Priest  in  a.d.  24,  but 
as  Annas  was  his  father-in-law,  and  very  influential  with  the  people, 
it  is  probable  that  they  both  took  part  to  some  extent  in  administer- 
ing the  functions  of  High-Priest.  They  may  have  occupied  the 
office  alternately,  as  would  seem  to  be  implied  by  St.  John  (xi.  49), 
who  says  that  Caiphas  was  the  High-Priest  of  that  year,  i.e.,  of 
our  Lord's  Passion. 

The  word  of  the  Lord;  i.e.,  God  spoke  or  made  known  to  John 
His  will. 

John  ...  in  the  desert.    See  on  Matthew  iii.  i. 


ST.  LUKE  III,  3-13  291 

3.  And  he  came  into  all  the  country  about  the  Jordan,  preaching  the  bap- 
tism of  penance  for  the  remission  of  sins; 

4.  As  it  was  written  in  the  book  of  the  sayings  of  Isaias  the  prophet:  A 
voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness :  Prepare  ye  the  way  of  the  Lord,  make 
straight  his  paths. 

5.  Every  valley  shall  be  filled ;  and  every  mountain  and  hill  shall  be  brought 
low ;  and  the  crooked  shall  be  made  straight ;  and  the  rough  ways  plain ; 

6.  And  all  flesh  shall  see  the  salvation  of  God. 

7.  He  said  therefore  to  the  multitudes  that  went  forth  to  be  baptized  by 
him :  Ye  offspring  of  vipers,  who  hath  shewed  you  to  flee  from  the  wrath  to 
come? 

8.  Bring  forth  therefore  fruits  worthy  of  penance;  and  do  not  begin  to  say, 
We  have  Abraham  for  our  father.  For  I  say  unto  you,  that  God  is  able  of 
these  stones  to  raise  up  children  to  Abraham. 

9.  For  now  the  axe  is  laid  to  the  root  of  the  trees.  Every  tree  therefore 
that  bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit,  shall  be  cut  down  and  cast  into  the  fire. 

10.  And  the  people  asked  him,  saying:  What  then  shall  we  do? 

11.  And  he  answering,  said  to  them:  He  that  hath  two  coats,  let  him  give 
to  him  that  hath  none ;  and  he  that  hath  meat,  let  him  do  in  like  manner. 

12.  And  the  publicans  also  came  to  be  baptized,  and  said  to  him :  Master, 
what  shall  we  do? 

13.  But  he  said  to  them  :  Do  nothing  more  than  that  which  is  appointed  you. 

3.  See  on  Matthew  iii.  6,  11. 

4,  5-  See  on  Matthew  iii.  3.  The  levehng  of  mountains  and  hills, 
etc.,  here  spoken  of,  is  evidently  to  be  taken  in  a  metaphorical  sense; 
the  reference  is  to  the  Oriental  custom  of  removing  all  obstacles, 
and  preparing  the  way  for  the  advent  of  kings  and  rulers. 

6.  This  verse  expresses  the  universality  of  salvation  through 
Christ.  The  Messiah  was  to  be  the  Saviour,  not  only  of  the  Jews, 
but  of  the  Gentiles  also. 

7-9.    See  on  Matthew  iii.  7-10. 

10.  The  people  asked  him,  etc.;  i.e.,  those  who,  unlike  the 
Scribes  and  Pharisees,  were  well-disposed,  and  were  anxious  to 
know  what  they  should  do  in  the  way  of  penance. 

11.  He  that  hath  two  coats,  etc.  St.  John  here  mentions  only 
two  corporal  works  of  mercy,  —  clothing  the  naked  and  feeding  the 
hungry,  —  but  these  are  mentioned  because  they  would  appeal  more 
to  the  people,  and  in  them  are  inckided  all  the  other  works  of  mercy, 
both  corporal  and  spiritual. 

12.  13.  The  publicans  also  came,  etc.  The  reply  John  made  to 
the  publicans  was  that  they  should  exact  nothing  more  than  was 
lawful.     The  publicans  were  hated  by  the  Jews:   (a)   because  of 


292  ST.  LUKE  III,  14-23 

14.  And  the  soldiers  also  asked  him,  saying:  And  what  shall  we  do?  And 
he  said  to  them :  Do  violence  to  no  man ;  neither  calumniate  any  man ;  and  be 
content  with  your  pay. 

15.  And  as  the  people  were  of  opinion,  and  all  were  thinking  in  their  hearts 
of  John,  that  perhaps  he  might  be  the  Christ; 

16.  John  answered,  saying  unto  all :  I  indeed  baptize  you  with  water ;  but 
there  shall  come  one  mightier  than  I,  the  latchet  of  whose  shoes  I  am  not 
worthy  to  loose :  he  shall  baptize  you  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  with  fire : 

17.  Whose  fan  is  in  his  hand,  and  he  will  purge  his  floor,  and  will  gather 
the  wheat  into  his  barn ;  but  the  chaflf  he  will  burn  with  unquenchable  fire. 

18.  And  many  other  things  exhorting,  did  he  preach  to  the  people. 

19.  But  Herod  the  tetrarch,  when  he  was  reproved  by  him  for  Herodias,  his 
brother's  wife,  and  for  all  the  evils  which  Herod  had  done; 

20.  He  added  this  also  above  all,  and  shut  up  John  in  prison. 

21.  Now  it  came  to  pass,  when  all  the  people  were  baptized,  that  Jesus  also 
being  baptized  and  praying,  heaven  was  opened ; 

22.  And  the  Holy  Ghost  descended  in  a  bodily  shape,  as  a  dove  upon  him ; 
and  a  voice  came  from  heaven :  Thou  art  my  beloved  Son ;  in  thee  I  am  well 
pleased. 

23.  And  Jesus  himself  was  beginning  about  the  age  of  thirty  years;  being 
(as  it  was  supposed)  the  son  of  Joseph,  who  was  of  Heli,  who  was  of  Mathat, 

their  office  as  tax-gatherers  for  the  Romans,  whom  the  Jews  regarded 
as  unjust  oppressors;  (b)  because  of  the  extortion  and  dishonesty 
which  they  practiced  in  the  discharge  of  their  hated  office.  See  on 
Matthew  v.  46. 

14.  Do  violence  to  no  man,  etc.  John  cautioned  the  soldiers 
against  those  crimes  to  which  they  were  most  incHned ;  namely,  the 
unjust  oppression  of  the  poor,  unjust  denunciation  of  their  enemies, 
and  mutiny  and  rebellion  against  lawful  authority. 

15.  The  people  were  of  opinion;  i.e.,  they  were  expecting,  wish- 
ing (irpoaSoKuvTos)  that  Christ  would  come,  and  they  thought  per- 
haps that  John  was  He. 

16.  17.    See  on  Matthew  iii.  11,  12. 

19,  20.  See  on  Matthew  xiv.  3,  4.  St.  Luke,  in  order  to  com- 
plete the  history  of  the  Baptist,  here  recounts  his  imprisonment, 
which  in  reality  did  not  occur  until  much  later. 

21,  22.    See  on  Matthew  iii.  16,  17. 

23.  And  Jesus  himself  was  beginning.  The  meaning  here  is 
that  our  Lord,  being  about  thirty  years  of  age,  began  His  public 
ministry.  It  was  not  lawful  among  the  Jews  for  anyone  to  exercise 
the  office  of  doctor  or  teacher  before  he  was  thirty  years  old.  See 
also  on  Matthew  iii.  17. 


ST.  LUKE  III,  24-38  293 

24.  Who  was  of  Levi,  who  was  of  Melchi,  who  was  of  Janne,  who  was  of 
Joseph, 

25.  Who  was  of  Mathathias,  who  was  of  Amos,  who  was  of  Nahum,  who 
was  of  HesH,  who  was  of  Nagge, 

26.  Who  was  of  Mahath,  who  was  of  Mathathias,  who  was  of  Semei,  who 
was  of  Joseph,  who  was  of  Juda, 

27.  Who  was  of  Joanna,  who  was  of  Reza,  who  was  of  Zorobabel,  who  was 
of  Salathiel,  who  was  of  Neri, 

28.  Who  was  of  Melchi,  who  was  of  Addi,  who  was  of  Cosan,  who  was  of 
Helmadan,  who  was  of  Her, 

2fj.  Who  was  of  Jesus,  who  was  of  EHezer,  who  was  of  Jorim,  who  was  of 
Mathat,  who  was  of  Levi, 

30.  Who  was  of  Simeon,  who  was  of  Judas,  who  was  of  Joseph,  who  was  of 
Jona.  who  was  of  Eliakim, 

31.  Who  was  of  Melea,  who  was  of  Menna,  who  was  of  Mathatha,  who  was 
of  Nathan,  who  was  of  David, 

32.  Who  was  of  Jesse,  who  was  of  Obed,  who  was  of  Booz,  who  was  of 
Salmon,  who  was  of  Naasson, 

S3.  Who  was  of  Aminadab,  who  was  of  Aram,  who  was  of  Esron,  who  was 
of  Phares,  who  was  of  Judas, 

34.  Who  was  of  Jacob,  who  was  of  Isaac,  who  was  of  Abraham,  who  was 
of  Thare,  who  was  of  Nachor, 

35.  Who  v/as  of  Sarug,  who  was  of  Ragau,  who  was  of  Phaleg,  who  was  of 
Heber,  who  was  of  Sale, 

36.  Who  was  of  Cainan,  who  was  of  Arphaxad,  who  was  of  Sem,  who  was 
of  Noe,  who  was  of  Lamech, 

37.  Who  was  of  Mathusale,  who  was  of  Henoch,  who  was  of  Jared,  who 
was  of  Malaleel,  who  was  of  Cainan, 

38.  Who  was  of  Henos,  who  was  of  Seth,  who  was  of  Adam,  who  was  of 
God. 

24-38.  St.  Luke,  writing  for  the  Gentiles,  wished  to  show  that 
Christ  came  to  save  all  men,  and  hence  he  traces  the  Saviour's 
human  ancestry  back  to  the  father  of  the  human  race,  to  Adam ; 
whereas  St.  Matthew,  who  wrote  for  the  Jews,  traces  our  Lord 
back  to  Abraham,  the  father  of  the  Jewish  race,  from  whose  seed 
the  Messiah  was  to  spring.  In  giving  their  genealogies  both  St. 
Matthew  and  St.  Luke  followed  records  already  existing;  but  the 
latter,  unlike  the  former,  scrupulously  adhered  to  the  record  before 
him,  without  any  omissions  and  without  adding  any  of  his  own 
reflections.  St.  Luke  has  added  from  the  Septuagint  Cainan,  not 
found  in  the  Hebrew  text.  His  genealogy  comprises  seventy-seven 
members,  and  the  number  of  generations  he  establishes  quite  ex- 
actly corresponds  with  the  number  of  years  elapsed.  In  Salathiel 
and  Zorobabel,  as  well  as  in  Mathan  or  Mathat,  he  seems  to  co- 


294  ST.  LUKE  IV,  1-14 

incide  with  St.  Matthew,  but  aside  from  these  two  instances,  St. 
Luke  appears  to  be  following  independent  documents.  As  to  the 
discrepancies  between  the  genealogies  given  by  the  two  evangelists, 
see  on  Matthew  i.  17. 

CHAPTER   IV 

The  Fast  and  Temptation  of  Jesus,  1-13. 
Jesus  Begins  to  Teach  at  Nazareth,  14-30. 
Jesus  Works  Miracles  at  Capharnaum,  31-44. 

1.  And  Jesus  being  full  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  returned  from  the  Jordan,  and 
was  led  by  the  Spirit  into  the  desert, 

2.  For  the  space  of  forty  days;  and  was  tempted  by  the  devil.  And  he  ate 
nothing  in  those  days ;  and  when  they  were  ended,  he  was  hungry. 

3.  And  the  devil  said  to  him  :  If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God,  say  to  this  stone 
that  it  be  made  bread. 

4.  And  Jesus  answered  him :  It  is  written,  that  Man  liveth  not  by  bread 
alone,  but  by  every  word  of  God. 

5.  And  the  devil  led  him  into  a  high  mountain,  and  shewed  him  all  the  king- 
doms of  the  world  in  a  moment  of  time ; 

6.  And  he  said  to  him :  To  thee  will  I  give  all  this  power,  and  the  glory  of 
them ;  for  to  me  they  are  delivered,  and  to  whom  I  will,  I  give  them. 

7.  If  thou  therefore  wilt  adore  before  me,  all  shall  be  thine. 

8.  And  Jesus  answering  said  to  him :  It  is  written :  Thou  shalt  adore  the 
Lord  thy  God,  and  him  only  shalt  thou  serve. 

9.  And  he  brought  him  to  Jerusalem,  and  set  him  on  a  pinnacle  of  the 
temple,  and  he  said  to  him :  If  thou  be  the  Son  of  God,  cast  thyself  from  hence. 

10.  For  it  is  written,  that  He  hath  given  his  angels  charge  over  thee,  that 
they  keep  thee. 

11.  And  that  in  their  hands  they  shall  bear  thee  up,  lest  perhaps  thou  dash 
thy  foot  against  a  stone. 

12.  And  Jesus  answering,  said  to  him  :  It  is  said :  Thou  shalt  not  tempt  the 
Lord  thy  God. 

13.  And  all  the  temptation  being  ended,  the  devil  departed  from  him  for  a 
time. 

14.  And  Jesus  returned  in  the  power  of  the  spirit,  into  Galilee,  and  the  fame 
of  him  went  out  through  the  whole  country. 

1-13.    See  on  Matthew  iv.  i-ii. 

14.  Jesus  returned  .  .  .  into  Galilee;  i.e.,  Jesus  returned  from 
the  scenes  of  His  baptism  and  temptations  to  the  place  in  Galilee 
where  He  had  been  before  going  to  the  Jordan  for  John's  baptism. 
This  is  the  second  return  of  our  Lord  to  Galilee,  after  His  fast  and 
baptism;  the  first  return  is  recorded  by  St.  John  (i.  43).  St.  Luke 
passes  over  many  events  in  our  Lord's  life  between  His  fast  of  forty 


ST.  LUKE  IV,  15-19  295 

15.  And  he  taught  in  their  synagogues,  and  was  magnified  by  all 

16.  And  he  came  to  Nazareth,  where  he  was  brought  up :  and  he  went  into 
the  synagogue,  according  to  his  custom,  on  the  sabbath  day;  and  he  rose  ud 
to  read.  ^ 

17.  And  the  book  of  Isaias  the  prophet  was  delivered  unto  him.  And  as  he 
unfolded  the  book,  he  found  the  place  where  it  was  written  : 

18.  The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me.  Wherefore  he  hath  anointed  me  to 
preach  the  gospel  to  the  poor,  he  hath  sent  me  to  heal  the  contrite  of  heart 

19.  To  preach  deliverance  to  the  captives,  and  sight  to  the  blind,  to  set  at 
liberty  them  that  are  bruised,  to  preach  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord  and 
the  day  of  reward. 

days  and  this  second  visit  to  Galilee.  These  events  recorded  by 
St.  John  are:  (a)  the  testimony  borne  to  the  Saviour  by  the  Baptist 
when  the  latter  addressed  Him  as  the  Lamb  of  God ;  (b)  the  mar- 
riage feast  of  Cana;  (c)  the  call  of  Andrew,  Phillip,  and  Peter; 
(d)  the  wonders  performed  at  Capharnaum ;  (e)  the  going  up  to 
Jerusalem  at  the  Pasch,  etc.    Cf.  John  i,  ii,  iii. 

15.  Synagogues.    See  on  Matthew  iv.  2$. 

16.  According  to  his  custom,  etc.  This  may  mean  that  it  was 
customary  for  our  Lord  to  enter  the  synagogue  on  the  Sabbath  to 
pray;  or  that,  since  the  beginning  of  His  public  ministry,  He  was 
accustomed  to  preach  to  the  people  in  the  synagogues  on  the  Sab- 
bath day.  It  was  customary  for  all  the  Jews  to  enter  the  syna- 
gogues on  the  Sabbath  and  festival  days,  for  the  purpose  of  praying 
reading,  and  hearing  the  word  of  God,  etc.  Anyone  supposed  to' 
be  learned  in  the  Law  might  be  invited  to  speak,  or  expound  some 
passage  of  the  Scriptures. 

17.  The  book  of  Isaias  ...  was  delivered  unto  him,  by  the 
mmister  of  tlie  synagogue  (verse  20). 

And  as  he  unfolded  the  book.    Books,  in  those  days,  consisted  of 
sheets  of  parchment,  folded  about  a  roller,  as  maps  are  in  our  days. 

18.  19.  This  passage  of  Isaias  (xli.  i,  2)  St.  Luke  quotes  ac- 
cordmg  to  the  Septuagint,  which  differs  in  some  details  from  that 
of  the  Vulgate.  The  words  of  the  prophet  refer  literally  to  the 
deliverance  of  the  Jewish  people  from  the  Babylonian  Captivity 
but  spiritually  they  signify  Christ's  mission  as  Deliverer  of  the  Jews 
from  the  spiritual  captivity  of  sin  and  ignorance.  But  in  the  quota- 
tion here  we  find  a  clause  {dxocTdXac  redpavatxhovs  h  &.<t>k<XH)  which  is 
neither  in  the  Septuagint  nor  Hebrew  text  of  Isaias  Ixi.  This  clause 
IS  found  in  Isaias  Iviii.  6.     How,  then,  did  our  Lord  read  them  out 


296  ST.  LUKE  IV,  20-27 

20.  And  when  he  had  folded  the  book,  he  restored  it  to  the  minister,  and 
sat  down.    And  the  eyes  of  all  in  the  synagogue  were  lixed  on  him. 

21.  And  he  began  to  say  to  them  :  This  day  is  fulfilled  this  scripture  in  yourears. 

22.  And  all  gave  testimony  to  him  :  and  they  wondered  at  the  words  of  grace 
that  proceeded  from  his  mouth,  and  they  said :  Is  not  this  the  son  of  Joseph  ? 

2^.  And  he  said  to  them :  Doubtless  you  will  say  to  me  this  similitude : 
Physician,  heal  thyself:  as  great  things  as  we  have  heard  done  in  Capharnaum. 
do  also  here  in  thy  own  country. 

24.  And  he  said :  Amen  I  say  to  you,  that  no  prophet  is  accepted  in  his  own 
country. 

25.  In  truth  I  say  to  you,  there  were  many  widows  in  the  days  of  Elias  in 
Israel,  when  heaven  was  shut  up  three  years  and  six  months,  when  there  was  a 
great  famine  throughout  all  the  earth. 

26.  And  to  none  of  them  was  Elias  sent,  but  to  Sareota  of  Sidon,  to  a 
widow  woman. 

27.  And  there  were  many  lepers  in  Israel  in  the  time  of  Eliseus  the  prophet : 
and  none  of  them  was  cleansed  but  Naaman  the  Syrian. 

of  place?  Answer:  St.  Luke,  quoting  from  the  Septuagint,  most 
likely  found  the  above  clause  as  a  marginal  note  in  his  copy  and 
transferred  it  from  ch.  Iviii  to  ch.  Ixi;  or  he  might  have  combined 
the  two  passages  because  of  their  similarity. 

The  last  words  of  verse  19  here,  "  and  the  day  of  reward,"  are 
wanting  in  the  Greek  text  of  St.  Luke,  but  are  found  in  Isaias. 

20.  He  sat  down.  The  Jews  were  accustomed  to  preach  in  a 
sitting  posture. 

21.  This  day  is  fulfilled,  etc.  By  these  words  our  Lord  an- 
nounced Himself  to  be  the  Messiah,  the  promised  Liberator  of  God's 
people. 

22.  All  gave  testimony  to  him,  —  not  precisely  that  He  was  the 
Messiah,  but  that  He  spoke  with  "  power  and  authority  "  (Matthew 
vii.  29). 

23.  Our  Lord  m  this  verse  forestalls  the  objections  of  the 
Nazarites.  Two  things  they  had  against  Him:  (a)  His  humble 
origin  and  boyhood;  (b)  the  fact  that  He  had  wrought  so  few 
wonders  among  them. 

24-27.  In  these  verses.  Jesus  gives  the  reason  for  His  few 
miracles  among  His  own  townsmen ;  namely,  their  own  unworthi- 
ness;  and  He  cites  the  example  of  two  illustrious  ancient  prophets, 
who  like  Himself,  passed  over  their  own  people,  because  of  their 
unworthiness,  and  worked  miracles  for  Gentiles  who  were  better 
disposed. 


ST.  LUKE  IV,  28-42  297 

28.  And  all  they  in  the  synagogue,  hearing  these  things,  were  filled  with  anger. 

29.  And  they  rose  up  and  thrust  him  out  of  the  city;  and  they  brought  him 
to  the  brow  of  the  hill,  whereon  their  city  was  built,  that  they  might  cast  him 
down  headlong. 

30.  But  he  passing  through  the  midst  of  them,  went  his  way. 

31.  And  he  went  down  into  Capharnaum,  a  city  of  Galilee,  and  there  he 
taught  them  on  the  sabbath  days. 

32.  And  they  were  astonished  at  his  doctrine :  for  his  speech  was  with 
power. 

S3.  And  in  the  synagogue  there  was  a  man  who  had  an  unclean  devil,  and 
he  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice, 

34.  Saying :  Let  us  alone,  what  have  we  to  do  with  thee,  Jesus  of  Nazareth  ? 
art  thou  come  to  destroy  us?    I  know  thee  who  thou  art,  the  holy  one  of  God. 

35.  And  Jesus  rebuked  him.  saying:  Hold  thy  peace,  and  go  out  of  him. 
And  when  the  devil  had  thrown  him  into  the  midst,  he  went  out  of  him,  and 
hurt  him  not  at  all. 

36.  And  there  came  fear  upon  all,  and  they  talked  among  themselves,  say- 
ing :  What  word  is  this,  for  with  authority  and  power  he  commandeth  the  un- 
clean spirits,  and  they  go  out? 

37.  And  the  fame  of  him  was  published  into  every  place  of  the  country. 

38.  And  Jesus  rising  up  out  of  the  synagogue,  went  into  Simon's  house. 
And  Simon's  wife's  mother  was  taken  with  a  great  fever,  and  they  besought 
him  for  her. 

39.  And  standing  over  her,  he  commanded  the  fever,  and  it  left  her.  And 
immediately  rising,  she  ministered  to  them. 

40.  And  when  the  sun  was  down,  all  they  that  had  any  sick  with  divers  dis- 
eases, brought  them  to  him.  But  he  laying  his  hands  on  every  one  of  them, 
healed  them. 

41.  And  devils  v/ent  out  from  many,  crying  out  and  saying:  Thou  art  the 
Son  of  God.  And  rebuking  them  he  suffered  them  not  to  speak,  for  they  knew 
that  he  was  Christ. 

42.  And  when  it  was  day,  going  out  he  went  into  a  desert  place,  and  the 
multitudes  sought  him.  and  came  unto  him :  and  they  stayed  him  that  he 
should  not  depart  from  them. 

28,  29.  The  Nazarites  were  incensed  against  our  Lord  for  as- 
signing their  unworthiness  as  the  reason  for  His  few  miracles 
among  them. 

30.  But  he  passing  through  the  midst,  etc.  Our  Lord's  hour 
had  not  yet  come,  and  so  His  enemies  were  powerless  to  destroy 
Him. 

31,  32.    See  on  Matthew  vii.  28,  29. 
33-37.    See  on  Mark  i,  23-27. 
38-40.    See  on  Matthew  viii.  14,  15. 

41.  See  on  Mark  i.  34. 

42.  See  on  Mark  i.  35. 


298  ST.  LUKE  IV,  43,  44;  V,  1-7 

43.  To  whom  he  said :  To  other  cities  also  I  must  preach  the  kingdom  of 
God :  for  therefore  am  I  sent. 

44.  And  he  was  preaching  in  the  synagogues  of  Galilee. 

43.  See  on  Mark  i,  38. 

44.  Of  Galilee.    The  best  MSS.  have  "  of  Judea."    The  preach- 
ing here  spoken  of  perhaps  embraced  both  GaHlee  and  Judea. 


CHAPTER  V 

The  Miraculous  Draught  of  Fishes,  i-ii. 

Jesus  Heals  a  Leper,  12-16. 

Jesus  Heals  the  Paralytic,  17-26. 

The  Call  of  Levi,  27-32. 

Fasting,  33-39- 

1.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  when  the  multitudes  pressed  upon  him  to  hear 
the  word  of  God,  he  stood  by  the  lake  of  Genesareth, 

2.  And  saw  two  ships  standing  by  the  lake :  but  the  fishermen  were  gone  out 
of  them,  and  were  washing  their  nets. 

3.  And  going  into  one  of  the  ships  that  was  Simon's,  he  desired  him  to  draw 
back  a  little  from  the  land.  And  sitting  he  taught  the  multitudes  out  of  the 
ship. 

4.  Now  when  he  had  ceased  to  speak,  he  said  to  Simon :  Launch  out  into 
the  deep,  and  let  down  your  nets  for  a  draught. 

5.  And  Simon  answering  said  to  him  :  Master,  we  have  laboured  all  the 
night,  and  have  taken  nothing :  but  at  thy  word  I  will  let  down  the  net. 

6.  And  when  they  had  done  this,  they  enclosed  a  very  great  multitude  of 
fishes,  and  their  net  broke. 

7.  And  they  beckoned  to  their  partners  that  were  in  the  other  ship,  that  they 
should  come  and  help  them.  And  they  came,  and  filled  both  the  ships,  so  that 
they  were  almost  sinking. 

I.  Genesareth.  The  Lake  of  Genesareth,  called  by  Matthew  and 
Mark  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  by  John,  the  Sea  of  Tiberias,  is  situ- 
ated in  the  central  part  of  Galilee,  which,  in  the  time  of  our  Lord, 
was  the  most  flourishing  region  of  Palestine.  Along  its  shores,  in 
the  time  of  Christ,  there  were  at  least  nine  populous  and  flourishing 
cities.  The  lake  is  about  thirteen  miles  long,  seven  miles  wide  at 
its  widest  point,  and  about  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  deep  at  its 
greatest  depth. 

5.  Master;  i.e.,  teacher  {kriaTara).  St.  Luke  alone  uses  this 
term ;  the  other  Evangelists  speak  of  our  Lord  by  the  Hebrew 
title  "  Rabbi." 


ST.  LUKE  V,  8-16  299 

8.  Which  when  Simon  Peter  saw,  he  fell  down  at  Jesus'  knees,  saying :  De- 
part from  me,  for  I  am  a  sinful  man,  O  Lord. 

9.  For  he  was  wholly  astonished,  and  all  that  were  with  him,  at  the  draught 
of  the  fishes  which  they  had  taken. 

10.  And  so  were  also  James  and  John  the  sons  of  Zebedee,  who  were 
Simon's  partners.  And  Jesus  saith  to  Simon  :  Fear  not :  from  henceforth  thou 
shalt  catch  men. 

11.  And  havingbrought  their  ships  to  land,  leaving  all  things,  they  followed  him. 

12.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  he  was  in  a  certain  city,  behold  a  man  full  of 
leprosy,  who  seeing  Jesus,  and  falling  on  his  face,  besought  him,  saying :  Lord, 
if  thou  wilt,  thou  canst  make  mc  clean. 

13.  And  stretching  forth  his  hand,  he  touched  him,  saying :  I  will.  Be  thou 
cleansed.    And  immediately  the  leprosy  departed  from  him. 

14.  And  he  charged  him  that  he  should  tell  no  man,  but.  Go,  shew  thyself  to 
the  priest,  and  offer  for  thy  cleansing  according  as  Moses  commanded,  for  a 
testimony  to  them. 

15.  But  the  fame  of  him  went  abroad  the  more,  and  great  multitudes  came 
together  to  hear,  and  to  be  healed  by  him  of  their  infirmities. 

16.  And  he  retired  into  the  desert,  and  prayed. 

8.  Depart  from  me  .  .  .  O  Lord.  Peter  recognized  that  our 
Lord  was  indeed  a  divine  Person ;  and  hence,  out  of  reverence  for 
Him,  and  from  a  sense  of  his  own  unworthiness,  he  uttered  the 
foregoing  words. 

The  account  here  given  by  St.  Luke  in  verses  i-ii,  although 
differing  in  minor  details,  is  the  same  as  that  of  Matthew  (iv. 
1&-22),  in  which  a  more  summary  account  of  the  call  of  the  first 
Apostles  is  given.  St.  Luke  here  recounts  the  full  and  final  call 
to  the  Apostleship  of  Peter,  Andrew,  James  and  John. 

It  is  to  be  noted  that  St.  Thomas,  Maldonatus,  and  others  distin- 
guish this  call  of  the  Apostles  from  that  given  in  Matthew  iv.  18; 
Mark  i.  16. 

12-14.  See  on  Matthew  viii.  2-4.  Leprosy  was  a  disease  con- 
tracted by  the  Jews  in  Egypt  in  the  land  of  Gessen.  The  Law  of 
Moses  required  the  leper  to  live  apart  from  other  people,  until  his 
disease  reached  a  stage  when  it  was  no  longer  contagious.  Hence 
the  lepers  lived  outside  the  cities  in  desert  places.  At  the  worst 
period  of  leprosy  the  body  swells  up,  the  nails  and  flesh  fall  off  the 
feet  and  hands,  the  vital  juices  of  the  body  change  in  essence,  and 
escape  from  the  eyes,  nose  and  mouth,  and  the  voice  becomes  shrill 
and  harsh.  Should  the  unfortunate  victim  survive  this  crisis  his 
disease  is  no  longer  contagious  and  he  may  again  communicate 
with  others  (Le  Camus,  Life  of  Christ,  vol.  i.  p.  378). 


300  ST.  LUKE  V,  17-39 

17.  And  it  came  to  pass  on  a  certain  day,  as  he  sat  teaching,  that  there  were  also 
Pharisees  and  doctors  of  the  law  sitting  by,  that  were  come  out  of  every  town  of 
Galilee,  and  Judea  and  Jerusalem :  and  the  power  of  the  Lord  was  to  heal  them. 

18.  And  behold,  men  brought  in  a  bed  a  man,  who  had  the  palsy :  and  they 
sought  means  to  bring  him  in,  and  to  lay  him  before  him. 

19.  And  when  they  could  not  find  by  what  way  they  might  bring  him  in,  be- 
cause of  the  multitude,  they  went  up  upon  the  roof,  and  let  him  down  through 
the  tiles  with  his  bed  into  the  midst  before  Jesus. 

20.  Whose  faith  when  he  saw,  he  said :  Man,  thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee. 

21.  And  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  began  to  think,  saying:  Who  is  this  who 
speaketh  blasphemies?    Who  can  forgive  sins,  but  God  alone? 

22.  And  when  Jesus  knew  their  thoughts,  answering,  he  said  to  them :  What 
is  it  you  think  in  your  hearts? 

23.  Which  is  easier  to  say.  Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee ;  or  to  say.  Arise  and  walk  ? 

24.  But  that  you  may  know  that  the  Son  of  man  hath  power  on  earth  to 
forgive  sins,  (he  saith  to  the  sick  of  the  palsy,)  I  say  to  thee.  Arise,  take  up 
thy  bed,  and  go  into  thy  house. 

25.  And  immediately  rising  up  before  them,  he  took  up  the  bed  on  which  he 
lay;  and  he  went  away  to  his  own  house,  glorifying  God. 

26.  And  all  were  astonished ;  and  they  glorified  God.  And  they  were  filled 
with  fear,  saying:  We  have  seen  wonderful  things  to-day. 

27.  And  after  these  things  he  went  forth,  and  saw  a  publican  named  Levi, 
sitting  at  the  receipt  of  custom,  and  he  said  to  him:  Follow  me. 

28.  And  leaving  all  things,  he  rose  up  and  followed  him. 

29.  And  Levi  made  him  a  great  feast  in  his  own  house ;  and  there  was  a 
great  company  of  publicans,  and  of  others,  that  were  at  table  with  them. 

30.  But  the  Pharisees  and  scribes  murmured,  saying  to  his  disciples :  Why 
do  you  eat  and  drink  with  publicans  and  sinners? 

31.  And  Jesus  answering,  said  to  them:  They  that  are  whole,  need  not  the 
physician  :  but  they  that  are  sick. 

32.  I  came  not  to  call  the  just,  but  sinners  to  penance. 

33.  And  they  said  to  him :  Why  do  the  disciples  of  John  fast  often,  and 
make  prayers,  and  the  disciples  of  the  Pharisees  in  like  manner ;  but  thine  eat 
and  drink? 

34.  To  whom  he  said :  Can  you  make  the  children  of  the  bridegroom  fast, 
whilst  the  bridegroom  is  with  them  ? 

35.  But  the  days  will  come,  when  the  bridegroom  shall  be  taken  away  from 
them,  then  shall  they  fast  in  those  days. 

36.  And  he  spoke  also  a  similitude  to  them :  That  no  man  putteth  a  piece 
from  a  new  garment  upon  an  old  garment ;  otherwise  he  both  rendeth  the  new, 
and  the  piece  taken  from  the  new  agreeth  not  with  the  old. 

37.  And  no  man  putteth  new  wine  into  old  bottles :  otherwise  the  new  wine 
will  break  the  bottles,  and  it  will  be  spilled,  and  the  bottles  will  be  lost. 

38.  But  new  wine  must  be  put  into  new  bottles;  and  both  are  preserved. 

39.  And  no  man  drinking  old,  hath  presently  a  mind  to  new :  for  he  saith, 
The  old  is  better.     ' 

17.  To  heal  them;  i.e.,  to  heal  those  who  sought  His  help. 
18-39.  See  on  Matthew  ix.  2-17.    Here  in  Luke,  verse  33,  the 


ST.  LUKE  VI,  1-5  301 

Scribes  and  Pharisees  are  said  to  speak,  in  Mark  ii.  18,  both  tlie 
Pharisees  and  John's  disciples  ask  the  question,  and  in  Matthew 
ix.  14  only  the  disciples  of  John  speak.  This  is  another  instance 
of  difference  in  details  among  the  sacred  writers  which  theories  of 
inspiration  should  not  overlook. 


CHAPTER  VI 

The  Ears  of  Corn,  and  the  Sabbath,  1-5, 
The  Man  with  the  Withered  Hand,  6-11. 
The  Choosing  of  the  Twelve  Apostles,  12-16. 
The  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  17-49. 

1.  And  it  came  to  pass  on  the  second  first  sabbath,  that  as  he  went  through 
the  corn  fields,  his  disciples  plucked  the  ears,  and  did  eat,  rubbing  them  in  their 
hands. 

2.  And  some  of  the  Pharisees  said  to  them  :  Why  do  you  that  which  is  not 
lawful  on  the  sabbath  days? 

3.  And  Jesus  answering  them,  said :  Have  you  not  read  so  much  as  this, 
what  David  did.  when  himself  was  hungry,  and  they  that  were  with  him : 

4.  How  he  went  into  the  house  of  God,  and  took  and  ate  the  bread  of 
proposition,  and  gave  to  them  that  were  with  him,  which  is  not  lawful  to  eat 
but  only  for  the  priests? 

5.  And  he  said  to  them :  The  Son  of  man  is  Lord  also  of  the  sabbath. 

I,  2.  The  second  first  sabbath.  It  is  difficult  to  explain  the 
meaning  of  the  term  "  second-first,"  which  is  found  only  in  this 
place,  and  which  is  wanting  in  some  of  the  best  MSS.  According 
to  the  Paschal  Chronicle,  the  day  referred  to  was  the  first  of  the 
seven  Sabbaths,  reckoned  from  the  second  day  of  the  Paschal  week 
(i6th  of  Nisan)  to  Pentecost.  Some  think  that  the  Jews  had  a  civil 
and  ecclesiastical  year,  and  that  the  first  Sabbath  of  the  civil  year 
was  called  "  first-first,"  while  the  first  of  the  ecclesiastical  year  was 
called  "  second-first."  At  any  rate,  the  day  here  spoken  of  must 
have  been  some  Sabbath  in  the  spring  or  early  summer,  shortly 
after  the  Passover,  because  the  new  fruits  would  not  have  been 
due  before  the  early  part  of  April.     See  on  Matthew  xii.  i. 

3,  4.    See  on  Matthew  xii.  3,  4. 

5.    See  on  Matthew  xii.  8. 


302  ST.  LUKE  VI,  6-19 

6.  And  it  came  to  pass  also  on  another  sabbath,  that  he  entered  into  the 
synagogue,  and  taught.    And  there  was  a  man,  whose  right  hand  was  withered. 

7.  And  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  watched  if  he  would  heal  on  the  sabbath; 
that  they  might  find  an  accusation  against  him. 

8.  But  he  knew  their  thoughts ;  and  said  to  the  man  who  had  the  withered 
hand :  Arise,  and  stand  forth  in  the  midst.    And  rising  he  stood  forth. 

g.  Then  Jesus  said  to  them :  I  ask  you,  if  it  be  lawful  on  the  sabbath  days  to 
do  good,  or  to  do  evil ;  to  save  life,  or  to  destroy? 

ID.  And  looking  round  about  on  them  all,  he  said  to  the  man  :  Stretch  forth 
thy  hand.    And  he  stretched  it  forth  :  and  his  hand  was  restored. 

11.  And  they  were  filled  with  madness;  and  they  talked  one  with  another, 
what  they  might  do  to  Jesus. 

12.  And  it  came  to  pass  in  those  days,  that  he  went  out  into  a  mountain  to 
pray,  and  he  passed  the  whole  night  in  the  prayer  of  God. 

13.  And  when  day  was  come,  he  called  unto  him  his  disciples;  and  he  chose 
twelve  of  them  (whom  also  he  named  apostles)  : 

14.  Simon,  whom  he  surnamed  Peter,  and  Andrew  his  brother,  James  and 
John,  Philip  and  Bartholomew, 

15.  Matthew  and  Thomas,  James  the  son  of  Alpheus,  and  Simon  who  is 
called  Zelotes, 

16.  And  Jude,  the  brother  of  James,  and  Judas  Iscariot,  who  was  the 
traitor. 

17.  And  coming  down  with  them,  he  stood  in  a  plain  place,  and  the  com- 
pany of  his  disciples,  and  a  very  great  multitude  of  people  from  all  Judea  and 
Jerusalem,  and  the  sea  coast  both  of  Tyre  and  Sidon, 

18.  Who  were  come  to  hear  him,  and  to  be  healed  of  their  diseases.  And 
they  that  were  troubled  with  unclean  spirits,  were  cured. 

19.  And  all  the  multitude  sought  to  touch  him,  for  virtue  went  out  from 
him,  and  healed  all. 

6-1 1.    See  on  Matthew  xii.  9-14. 

12.    See  on  Matthew  v.  i. 

13-16.  See  on  Matthew  x.  1-3.  In  St.  John  (xxi.  i,  2)  we  find 
Nathanael  mentioned  among  the  Apostles  and  distinguished  from 
the  disciples;  but  in  the  lists  of  the  Apostles  given  by  the  Synop- 
tists  and  in  the  Acts  his  name  does  not  occur.  How  is  this?  An- 
swer: St.  John  in  his  Gospel  makes  no  mention  of  Bartholomew, 
while  the  Synoptists,  on  the  contrary,  do  not  speak  of  Nathanael; 
hence  it  is  concluded  that  Nathanael  and  Bartholomew  are  the  same 
person,  the  first  being  his  proper,  the  latter  his  patronymic  name. 

17-19.  And  coming  down  ...  he  stood  in  a  plain  place.  The 
place  here  mentioned  was  likely  some  slope  or  partly  level  place  on 
the  mountain  side,  because  what  follows  here  (verses  20-49)  is 
most  probably  substantially  the  same  as  St.  Matthew's  Sermon  on  the 
Mount  ( Matthew  v,  vi,  vii ) .    The  two  accounts  dififer  in  many  details. 


ST.  LUKE  VT,  20-35  303 

20.  And  he,  lifting  up  his  eyes  on  his  disciples,  said:  Blessed  are  ye  poor, 
for  yours  is  the  kingdom  of  God. 

21.  Blessed  are  ye  that  hunger  now  :  for  you  shall  be  filled.  Blessed  are  ye 
that  weep  now :  for  you  shall  laugh. 

22.  Blessed  shall  you  be  when  men  shall  hate  you,  and  when  they  shall  sepa- 
rate you,  and  shall  reproach  you,  and  cast  out  your  name  as  evil,  for  the  Son 
of  man's  sake. 

23.  Be  glad  in  that  day  and  rejoice;  for  behold,  your  reward  is  great  in 
heaven.    For  according  to  these  things  did  their  fathers  to  the  prophets. 

24.  But  woe  to  you  that  are  rich  :  for  you  have  your  consolation. 

25.  Woe  to  you  that  are  filled  :  for  you  shall  hunger.  Woe  to  you  that  now 
laugh :  for  you  shall  mourn  and  weep. 

26.  Woe  to  you  when  men  shall  bless  you :  for  according  to  these  things 
did  their  fathers  to  the  false  prophets. 

27.  But  I  say  to  you  that  hear :  Love  your  enemies,  do  good  to  them  that 
hate  you. 

28.  Bless  them  that  curse  you,  and  pray  for  them  that  calumniate  you. 

29.  And  to  him  that  striketh  thee  on  the  one  cheek,  offer  also  the  other.  And 
him  that  taketh  away  from  thee  thy  cloak,  forbid  not  to  take  thy  coat  also. 

30.  Give  to  every  one  that  asketh  thee,  and  of  him  that  taketh  away  thy 
goods,  ask  them  not  again. 

31.  And  as  you  would  that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  you  also  to  them  in 
like  manner. 

32.  And  if  you  love  them  that  love  you,  what  thanks  are  to  you?  for  sinners 
also  love  those  that  love  them. 

23.  And  if  you  do  good  to  them  who  do  good  to  you,  what  thanks  are  to 
you?  for  sinners  also  do  this. 

34.  And  if  you  lend  to  them  of  whom  you  hope  to  receive,  what  thanks  are 
to  you?  for  sinners  also  lend  to  sinners,  for  to  receive  as  much. 

35.  But  love  ye  your  enemies :  do  good,  and  lend,  hoping  for  nothing 
thereby :  and  your  reward  shall  be  great,  and  you  shall  be  the  sons  of  the 
Highest;  for  he  is  kind  to  the  unthankful,  and  to  the  evil. 

but  substantially  they  are  one.  The  fact  that  St.  Matthew  makes  his 
Sermon  on  the  Mount  precede  the  calling  of  the  Apostles,  is  explained 
by  the  fact  that  he  was  not  following-  the  chronological  order. 

20.  See  on  Matthew  v.  3. 

21.  See  on  Matthew  v.  5,  6. 

22.  23.    See  on  Matthew  v.  11,  12. 

24-26.  St.  Luke  gives  only  four  of  the  eight  Beatitudes,  but  he 
recounts  four  maledictions  uttered  by  the  Saviour,  parallel  with  the 
four  benedictions. 

27,  28.    See  on  Matthew  v.  44. 

29,  30.    See  on  Matthew  v.  39,  40. 

32-34.    See  on  Matthew  v.  46,  47. 

35.    See  on  Matthew  v.  43,  44. 


304  ST.  LUKE  VI,  36-49 

36.  Be  ye  therefore  merciful,  as  your  Father  also  is  merciful. 
2,7.  Judge  not,  and  you  shall  not  be  judged.     Condemn  not,  and  you  shall 
not  be  condemned.    Forgive,  and  you  shall  be  forgiven. 

38.  Give,  and  it  shall  be  given  to  you :  good  measure  and  pressed  down  and 
shaken  together  and  running  over  shall  they  give  into  your  bosom.  For  with 
the  same  measure  that  you  shall  mete  withal,  it  shall  be  measured  to  you  again. 

39.  And  he  spoke  also  to  them  a  similitude:  Can  the  blind  lead  the  blind? 
do  they  not  both  fall  into  the  ditch? 

40.  The  disciple  is  not  above  his  master :  but  every  one  shall  be  perfect,  if 
he  be  as  his  master. 

41.  And  why  seest  thou  the  mote  in  thy  brother's  eye :  but  the  beam  that  is 
in  thy  own  eye  thou  considerest  not? 

42.  Or  how  canst  thou  say  to  thy  brother :  Brother,  let  me  pull  the  mote  out 
of  thy  eye,  when  thou  thyself  seest  not  the  beam  in  thy  own  eye?  Hypocrite, 
cast  first  the  beam  out  of  thy  own  eye ;  and  then  shalt  thou  see  clearly  to  take 
out  the  mote  from  thy  brother's  eye. 

43.  For  there  is  no  good  tree  that  bringeth  forth  evil  fruit ;  nor  an  evil  tree 
that  bringeth  forth  good  fruit. 

44.  For  every  tree  is  known  by  its  fruit.  For  men  do  not  gather  figs  from 
thorns ;  nor  from  a  bramble  bush  do  they  gather  the  grape. 

45.  A  good  man  out  of  the  good  treasure  of  his  heart  bringeth  forth  that 
which  is  good :  and  an  evil  man  out  of  the  evil  treasure  bringeth  forth  that 
which  is  evil.    For  out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh. 

46.  And  why  call  you  me,  Lord,  Lord;  and  do  not  the  things  which  I  say? 

47.  Every  one  that  cometh  to  me,  and  heareth  my  words,  and  doth  them,  I 
will  shew  you  to  whom  he  is  like. 

48.  He  is  like  to  a  man  building  a  house,  who  digged  deep,  and  laid  the 
foundation  upon  a  rock.  And  when  a  flood  came,  the  stream  beat  vehemently 
upon  that  house,  and  it  could  not  shake  it ;  for  it  was  founded  on  a  rock. 

49.  But  he  that  heareth,  and  doth  not,  is  like  to  a  man  building  his  house 
upon  the  earth  without  a  foundation :  against  which  the  stream  beat  vehe- 
mently, and  immediately  it  fell,  and  the  ruin  of  that  house  was  great. 

36.  See  on  Matthew  v.  48. 

37,  38.    See  on  Matthew  vii.  i,  2. 

39.  See  on  Matthew  xv.  14. 

40.  See  on  Matthew  x.  24,  25. 

41.  42.    See  on  Matthew  vii.  3-5. 
43-45.    See  on  Matthew  vii.  17-20. 
46-49.    See  on  Matthew  vii.  21-27. 


ST.  LUKE  VII,  1-11  305 


CHAPTER  VII 

Jesus  Heals  the  Centurion's  Servant,  i-io. 
Jesus  Restores  to  Life  the  Son  of  the  Widow  of 

Naim,  11-17. 
John  Sends  his  Disciples  to  Jesus,  18-35. 
The  Sinful  Woman  at  the  Feet  of  Jesus,  36-50. 

1.  And  when  he  had  finished  all  his  words  in  the  hearing  of  the  people,  he 
entered  into  Capharnaum. 

2.  And  the  servant  of  a  certain  centurion,  who  was  dear  to  him,  being  sick, 
was  ready  to  die. 

3.  And  when  he  had  heard  of  Jesus,  he  sent  unto  him  the  ancients  of  the 
Jews,  desiring  him  to  come  and  heal  his  servant. 

4.  And  when  they  came  to  Jesus,  they  besought  him  earnestly,  saying  to 
him :  He  is  worthy  that  thou  shouldest  do  this  for  him. 

5.  For  he  loveth  our  nation ;  and  he  hath  built  us  a  synagogue. 

6.  And  Jesus  went  with  them.  And  when  he  was  now  not  far  from  the 
house,  the  centurion  sent  his  friends  to  him,  saying:  Lord,  trouble  not  thyself; 
for  I  am  not  worthy  that  thou  shouldest  enter  under  my  roof. 

7.  For  which  cause  neither  did  I  think  myself  worthy  to  come  to  thee;  but 
say  the  word,  and  my  servant  shall  be  healed. 

8.  For  I  also  am  a  man  subject  to  authority,  having  under  me  soldiers :  and 
I  say  to  one.  Go.  and  he  goeth ;  and  to  another.  Come,  and  he  cometh ;  and  to 
my  servant,  Do  this,  and  he  doth  it. 

9.  Which  Jesus  hearing,  marvelled :  and  turning  about  to  the  multitude 
that  followed  him,  he  said  :  Amen  I  say  to  you,  I  have  not  found  so  great 
faith,  not  even  in  Israel. 

10.  And  they  who  were  sent,  being  returned  to  the  house,  found  the  servant 
whole  who  had  been  sick. 

11.  And  it  came  to  pass  afterwards,  that  he  went  into  a  city  that  is  called 
Naim;  and  there  went  with  him  his  disciples,  and  a  great  multitude. 

1-5.    See  on  Matthew  viii.  5,  6. 
6-9.    See  on  Matthew  viii.  8-10. 

10.  See  on  Matthew  viii.  13. 

11.  And  it  came  to  pass  afterwards.  It  is  commonly  held  that 
the  word  "  afterwards  "  here  refers  to  the  day  following  the  cure 
of  the  Centurion's  servant,  although  it  may  refer  to  a  much  longer 
period. 

Naim  signifies  "  pasture."  It  was  a  small  city  lying  at  the  foot 
of  the  Lesser  Hermon,  about  twenty-five  miles  southwest  of  Caphar- 
naum, and  two  miles  north  of  Mt.  Thabor. 


3o6  ST.  LUKE  VII,  12-21 

12.  And  when  he  came  nigh  to  the  gate  of  the  city,  behold  a  dead  man  was 
carried  out,  the  only  son  of  his  mother;  and  she  was  a  widow:  and  a  great 
multitude  of  the  city  was  with  her. 

13.  Whom  when  the  Lord  had  seen,  being  moved  with  mercy  towards  her, 
he  said  to  her :  Weep  not. 

14.  And  he  came  near  and  touched  the  bier.  And  they  that  carried  it,  stood 
still.    And  he  said :  Young  man,  I  say  to  thee,  arise. 

15.  And  he  that  was  dead,  sat  up,  and  began  to  speak.  And  he  gave  him  to 
his  mother. 

16.  And  there  came  a  fear  on  them  all :  and  they  glorified  God,  saying :  A 
great  prophet  is  risen  up  among  us :  and,  God  hath  visited  his  people. 

17.  And  this  rumour  of  him  went  forth  throughout  all  Judea,  and  through- 
out all  the  country  round  about. 

18.  And  John's  disciples  told  him  of  all  these  things. 

19.  And  John  called  to  him  two  of  his  disciples,  and  sent  them  to  Jesus, 
saying :  Art  thou  he  that  art  to  come ;  or  look  we  for  another  ? 

20.  And  when  the  men  were  come  unto  him,  they  said:  John  the  Baptist 
hath  sent  us  to  thee,  saying:  Art  thou  he  that  art  to  come;  or  look  we  for 
another  ? 

21.  (And  in  that  same  hour,  he  cured  many  of  their  diseases,  and  hurts,  and 
evil  spirits:  and  to  many  that  were  blind  he  gave  sight.) 

12.  To  the  gate  of  the  city.  The  funeral  procession  was 
passing  out  of  the  city  because  the  Jews  always  buried  their 
dead  outside  the  cities,  as  a  rule  in  tombs  hewn  in  the  rocky 
hillsides. 

A  great  multitude  of  the  city.  This  miracle  was  performed  by 
our  Lord  in  the  presence  of  a  multitude,  who  had  accompanied  Him 
and  His  disciples,  and  in  the  presence  of  a  multitude  that  followed 
the  dead  man. 

14.  Came  near  and  touched  the  bier.  The  bodies  of  the  dead 
were  not  enclosed  in  coffins,  as  with  us,  but  were  wrapped  in  linen 
cloths  and  carried  on  open  biers. 

16.  A  great  prophet  is  risen  among  us.  The  sight  of  this 
miracle  recalled  to  the  minds  of  the  multitude  the  works  of  the 
ancient  prophets,  Elias  and  Eliseus,  who  also  had  raised  the 
dead  to,  life;  it  is  not  probable,  however,  that  they  recognized 
in  our  Lord  anything  more  than  a  great  prophet,  like  those  just 
mentioned.  There  are  three  cases  recorded  in  the  Gospels  in  which 
Christ  raised  the  dead  to  life:  (a)  the  widow's  son,  here  men- 
tioned; (b)  the  daughter  of  Jairus  (viii.  49-56);  (c)  Lazarus 
(John  xi.  1-45)- 

18-20.    See  on  Matthew  xi.  2. 


ST.  LUKE  VII,  22-36  307 

22.  And  answering,  he  said  to  them :  Go  and  relate  to  John  what  you  have 
heard  and  seen :  the  bhnd  see,  the  lame  walk,  the  lepers  are  made  clean,  the 
deaf  hear,  the  dead  rise  again,  to  the  poor  the  gospel  is  preached : 

23.  And  blessed  is  he  whosoever  shall  not  be  scandalized  in  me. 

24.  And  when  the  messengers  of  John  were  departed,  he  began  to  speak  to 
the  multitudes  concerning  John.  What  went  ye  out  into  the  desert  to  see?  a 
reed  shaken  with  the  wind? 

25.  But  what  went  you  out  to  see?  a  man  clothed  in  soft  garments?  Behold 
they  that  are  in  costly  apparel  and  live  delicately,  are  in  the  houses  of  kings. 

26.  But  what  went  you  out  to  see?  a  prophet?  Yea,  I  say  to  you,  and  more 
than  a  prophet. 

27.  This  is  he  of  whom  it  is  written  :  Behold  I  send  my  angel  before  thy 
face,  who  shall  prepare  thy  way  before  thee. 

28.  For  I  say  to  you :  Amongst  those  that  are  born  of  women,  there  is  not 
a  greater  prophet  than  John  the  Baptist.  But  he  that  is  the  lesser  in  the  king- 
dom of  God,  is  greater  than  he. 

29.  And  all  the  people  hearing,  and  the  publicans,  justified  God,  being  bap- 
tized with  John's  baptism. 

30.  But  the  Pharisees  and  the  lawyers  despised  the  counsel  of  God  against 
themselves,  being  not  baptized  by  him. 

31.  And  the  Lord  said :  Whereunto  then  shall  I  liken  the  men  of  this  gener- 
ation ?  and  to  what  arc  they  like  ? 

:^2.  They  are  like  to  children  sitting  in  the  marketplace,  and  speaking  one  to 
another,  and  saying :  We  have  piped  to  you,  and  you  have  not  danced :  we 
have  mourned,  and  you  have  not  wept. 

S3.  For  John  the  Baptist  came  neither  eating  bread  nor  drinking  wine ;  and 
you  say :  He  hath  a  devil. 

34.  The  Son  of  man  is  come  eating  and  drinking :  and  you  say  :  Behold  a 
man  that  is  a  glutton  and  a  drinker  of  wine,  a  friend  of  publicans  and  sinners. 

35.  And  wisdom  is  justified  by  all  her  children. 

36.  And  one  of  the  Pharisees  desired  him  to  eat  with  him.  And  he  went 
into  the  house  of  the  Pharisee,  and  sat  down  to  meat. 

22-28.    See  on  Matthew  xi.  4-1 1. 

29,  30.  These  verses  show  the  difference  between  the  sincerity  of 
the  people  and  the  simple  publicans,  who,  yielding  to  God's  Provi- 
dence in  their  regard,  acknowledged  their  sins  by  receiving  John's 
baptism ;  and  the  hypocrisy  of  the  Pharisees  and  lawyers,  on  the 
other  hand,  who  spurned  the  counsel  of  God  in  their  behalf,  and 
refused  to  acknowledge  their  sinfulness  and  receive  John's  baptism. 
Commentators  generally  understand  these  two  verses  to  be  a  part 
of  our  Lord's  discourse. 

31-35.  See  on  Matthew  xi.  16-19.  The  words,  "  And  the  Lord 
said"  (verse  31)  are  not  in  the  best  MSS. 

36.  And  one  of  the  Pharisees,  whose  name  was  "  Simon " 
(verse  40).     It  is  very  probable  that  this  Simon  is  the  same  as 


3o8  ST.  LUKE  VII,  37 

37.  And  behold  a  woman  that  was  in  the  city,  a  sinner,  when  she  knew  that 
he  sat  at  meat  in  the  Pharisee's  house,  brought  an  alabaster  box  of  ointment ; 

"Simon  the  Leper"  mentioned  by  Matthew  (xxvi.  6),  although 
the  present  occurrence  seems  to  have  taken  place  at  Nairn,  in 
Galilee,  two  years  before  that  mentioned  by  Matthew,  which  oc- 
curred at  Bethany,  on  the  eve  of  the  Passion.  If  this  be  true.  Simon 
must  meanwhile  have  moved  from  Galilee  to  Judea.  Some  authori- 
ties (Le  Camus,  Life  of  Christ,  vol.  ii.  p.  32)  think  that  the  reasons 
given  to  prove  that  the  present  incident  took  place  at  Naim  or 
Capharnaum  are  not  good.  This  verse  of  St.  Luke,  it  is  main- 
tained, is  only  a  fragment,  having  no  connection  with  what  pre- 
cedes or  follows. 

■^y.  A  woman  that  was  in  the  city,  a  sinner;  i.e.,  a  woman  who 
was  a  sinner  in  the  city. 

An  alabaster  box  of  ointment,  which  was  a  small  phial  contain- 
ing precious  ointment,  used  to  anoint  the  head  and  feet  of  guests. 
Whether  the  anointing  here  recounted  is  the  same  as  that  men- 
tioned by  the  other  three  Evangelists  ( Matthew  xxvi.  7 ;  Mark  xiv. 
3;  John  xii,  3),  and  whether,  consequently,  the  woman  "who  was 
a  sinner,"  and  Mary,  the  sister  of  Lazarus,  were  one  and  the  same 
person,  has  been  disputed  from  the  earliest  times.     Some  hold  that 
the  anointing  mentioned  by  St.  Luke,  since  it  occurred  in  Galilee, 
two  years  before  our  Lord's  Passion,  is  not  the  same  as  that  re- 
corded by  the  other  Evangelists,  which  was  in  Bethany,  on  the  eve 
of  the  Passion.     Others  say  that  the  anointing  took  place  but  once, 
hence  St.  Luke's  account  must  be  the  same  as  that  of  the  other 
Evangelists.     This,  however,  seems  very  improbable.     To  identify 
the  account  of  St.  Luke  with  that  of  the  other  Evangelists  is  to 
overlook  those  differences  of  time,  place,  and  persons  which  make 
it  next  to  impossible  to  consider  the  two  anointings  as  one.     There 
are  chiefly  the  following  differences:  (a)   St.  Luke's  account  is  in 
Galilee  in  the  second  year  of  the  Messianic  ministry,  whereas  the 
account  of  the  other  Evangelists  is  at  Bethany  in  Judea,  only  si^x 
days  before  the  last  Pasch ;  (b)  in  St.  Luke's  account  the  woman 
is  supposed  to  be  a  stranger ;  but  in  the  other  instance  she  appears 
as  well  known  as  if  in  her  own  home;  (c)  in  the  former  account 
our  Lord  grants  a  solemn  pardon  to  a  repentant  sinner,  in  the  latter 
He  praises  a  friend  and  announces  His  own  death.     At  anv  rate, 


ST.  LUKE  VII,  38  309 

38.  And  standing  behind  at  his  feet,  she  began  to  wash  his  feet,  with  tears, 
and  wiped  them  with  the  hairs  of  her  head,  and  kissed  his  feet,  and  anointed 
them  with  the  ointment. 

whether  there  was  one  or  two  anointings,  the  general  teaching  of 
the  Latin  Church  has  always  been  that  these  services  for  our  Lord 
were  performed  by  one  and  the  same  person,  and  that  consequently, 
Mary  Magdalen,  Mary,  the  sister  of  Lazarus,  and  the  sinner  here 
mentioned  were  one  and  the  same  person. 

This  is  further  proved  as  follows:  (a)  St.  Luke  in  the  present 
chapter  (verses  36-50)  narrates  the  conversion  of  a  sinner  who 
devotes  herself  entirely  to  the  Saviour ;  and  in  the  following  chapter 
(viii)  he  speaks  of  certain  women  who  were  devoutly  ministering 
to  our  Lord,  and  he  names  in  the  first  place  Mary  Magdalen  "  out 
of  whom  seven  devils  were  gone  forth  "  (verse  2).  Now  this  seems 
plainly  to  identify  Mary  Magdalen  and  the  sinner,  (b)  St.  John 
(xi.  2)  speaks  of  Mary,  the  sister  of  Lazarus,  as  the  one  who  had 
anointed  our  Lord  and  wiped  His  feet  with  her  hair,  and  since  this 
anointing  cannot  be  understood  as  referring  to  any  other  than  that 
mentioned  by  St.  Luke  (vii.  36-50),  it  follows  that  Mary  the 
sister  of  Lazarus  and  the  sinner  were  the  same  person,  (c)  In 
Mary,  the  sister  of  Lazarus,  in  Mar\'  Magdalen,  and  in  the  sinner, 
we  find  the  same  identical  characteristics  —  the  same  intense  love 
for  and  fervent  desire  to  be  with  the  Saviour ;  and  hence  we 
must  naturally  conclude  that  the  three  names  belong  to  the  self- 
same person.  Cf.  Matt.  xxvi.  7;  Mark  xiv.  3;  Luke  vii.  47;  x. 
38^42 ;  John  xi.  32,  33 ;  xii.  2,  3. 

It  is  idle  to  object  here  that  our  Lord  could  not  have  admitted 
one  who  had  been  a  great  sinner  to  His  close  friendship ;  Christ 
came  to  save  sinners.  Neither  is  there  any  difificulty  in  the  fact  that 
Mary  of  Bethany  should  have  been  called  the  Magdalen,  since  she 
might  have  lived  for  a  time,  or  had  possessions  at  Magdala. 

38.  And  standing  behind  at  his  feet.  The  guests  at  the  table 
were  reclining,  in  accordance  with  the  custom  first  introduced  from 
the  Persians.  They  rested  on  their  left  arm,  their  unsandalled  feet 
being  concealed  behind  the  triclinium. 

She  began  to  wash  his  feet,  etc.  These  services  were  not  un- 
usual, although  the  anointing  of  the  head  was  more  common  than 
the  anointing  of  the  feet.     The  anointing  was  the  expression  of 


3IO  ST.  LUKE  VII,  39-46 

39.  And  the  Pharisee,  who  had  invited  him,  seeing  it,  spoke  within  himself, 
saying:  This  man,  if  he  were  a  prophet,  would  know  surely  who  and  what 
manner  of  woman  this  is  that  toucheth  him,  that  she  is  a  sinner. 

40.  And  Jesus  answering,  said  to  him :  Simon,  I  have  somewhat  to  say  to 
thee.    But  he  said :  Master,  say  it. 

41.  A  certain  creditor  had  two  debtors,  the  one  owed  five  hundred  pence, 
and  the  other  fifty. 

42.  And  whereas  they  had  not  wherewith  to  pay,  he  forgave  them  both. 
Which' therefore  of  the  two  loveth  him  most? 

43.  Simon  answering,  said :  I  suppose  that  he  to  whom  he  forgave  most. 
And  he  said  to  him:  Thou  hast  judged  rightly. 

44.  And  turning  to  the  woman,  he  said  unto  Simon :  Dost  thou  see  this 
woman?  I  entered  into  thy  house,  thou  gavest  me  no  water  for  my  feet;  but 
she  with  tears  hath  washed  my  feet,  and  with  her  hairs  hath  wiped  them. 

45.  Thou  gavest  me  no  kiss ;  but  she,  since  she  came  in,  hath  not  ceased  to 
kiss  my  feet. 

46.  My  head  with  oil  thou  didst  not  anoint ;  but  she  with  ointment  hath 
anointed  my  feet. 

welcome  and  homage,  proceeding  from  the  deepest  and  truest  feel- 
ings of  the  human  heart. 

39.  If  he  were  a  prophet,  etc.  Simon  thought  that  if  our  Lord 
were  truly  a  prophet.  He  would  possess  the  gifts  of  a  prophet,  one 
of  which  was  to  know  hidden  things.  But  in  thus  reasoning,  Simon 
seriously  erred :  ( a )  because  it  was  by  no  means  essential  to  a 
prophet's  gifts  that  he  should  know  hidden  things,  except  in  so 
far  as  it  might  please  God  to  enlighten  him;  (b)  because  he  erro- 
neously thought  that  to  come  in  external  contact  with  a  sinner 
could  defile  a  soul;  (c)  because  he  mistook  the  purpose  of  Christ's 
mission,  which  was  not  to  keep  aloof  from  sinners,  but  to  draw 
near  them,  in  order  to  save  them. 

40.  And  Jesus  answering,  said,  etc.  Our  Lord  now  showed  the 
Pharisee  that  He  did  possess  the  gift  of  knowing  hidden  things, 
since  He  made  known  the  Pharisee's  secret  thoughts. 

41.  The  one  owed  five  hundred  pence,  the  other  fifty.  The 
penny,  or  denarius,  was  equal  to  about  17  cents  in  our  money.  The 
different  quantities  of  money  are  here  mentioned  to  show  the  differ- 
ence in  indebtedness  in  which  two  debtors  stood  to  a  common  creditor. 

43.  Thou  hast  judged  rightly,  and  by  so  doing  the  Pharisee  con- 
demned his  own  previous  rash  and  false  judgment. 

44-46.  In  these  verses  our  Lord  showed  the  Pharisee  that  he  had 
denied  Him  courtesies  and  acts  of  respect  which  were  altogether 


ST.  LUKE  VII,  47-50  311 

47.  Wherefore  I  say  to  thee :  Many  sins  are  forgiven  her,  because  she  hath 
loved  much.    But  to  whom  less  is  forgiven,  he  loveth  less. 

48.  And  he  said  to  her :  Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee. 

49.  And  they  that  sat  at  meat  with  him  began  to  say  within  themselves : 
Who  is  this  that  forgiveth  sins  also? 

50.  And  he  said  to  the  woman :  Thy  faith  hath  made  thee  safe,  go  in  peace. 

according  to  custom ;  he  had  not  given  Him  water  for  His  feet  (Gen. 
xviii.  4 ;  Judg.  xix.  21 )  ;  he  had  not  offered  Him  the  kiss  of  peace  (Gen. 
xlvi.  29;  Exod,  xviii.  7)  ;  neither  had  he  anointed  the  head  of  his 
guest,  as  was  the  custom  at  festivals  (Ps.  xxii.  5;  cxl.  5)  ;  whereas 
this  woman  had  lavishly  rendered  these  courtesies,  and  even  more. 

47.  Many  sins  are  forgiven  her,  etc. ;  i.e.,  have  been  forgiven 
her  (d</)eajj'Tai),  because  she  hath  loved  much.  The  perfect  charity 
of  Mary,  founded  on  faith  in  the  power  and  goodness  of  our  Lord, 
{which  prompted  her  to  come  to  Him  and  perform  towards  Him 
those  several  acts  of  courtesy  and  love,  had  already  obtained  for  her 
the  remission  of  her  sins.  It  was  her  longing  for  God,  her  earnest 
desire  for  forgiveness,  and  her  hatred  of  her  sins,  which  constituted 
that  love  which  the  Saviour  here  assigns  as  the  cause,  or  at  least 
the  necessary  condition,  of  the  pardon  which  Mary  had  obtained, 
before  she  had  begun  to  anoint  our  Lord. 

It  is  doing  violence  to  the  text  and  to  the  ordinary  meaning  of 
the  Greek  connective  (ori),  to  maintain,  as  some  do,  that  the  love 
of  Mary  here  spoken  of  was  the  consequence,  and  not  the  cause 
or  condition,  of  the  forgiveness  granted  to  her  by  our  Lord.  With- 
out doubt,  Mary's  love,  in  gratitude  for  her  forgiveness,  was  far 
greater  than  that  of  the  proud  Pharisee,  who  had  little  sense  of  his 
own  condition ;  but  in  her  case,  the  Saviour  speaks  only  of  the  love 
which  preceded  her  pardon ;  whereas  in  the  case  of  the  Pharisee 
He  alludes  exclusively,  in  the  present  verse,  to  the  love  which  fol- 
lows forgiveness,  "but  to  whom  less  is  forgiven,  he  loveth  less." 

48.  Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee;  i.e.,  have  been  forgiven  thee, 
as  just  explained  (verse  47). 

50.  Thy  faith  hath  made  thee  safe,  etc.  Faith  is  a  necessary 
condition  for  charity  or  love  of  God,  hence  it  was  Mary's  lively 
faith  which  was  the  foundation,  or  fundamental  cause  or  condition, 
of  the  charity  she  had  and  of  the  forgiveness  she  obtained. 


312  ST.  LUKE  VIII,  1-3 


CHAPTER  VIII 

Jesus    in    Galilee    is    Ministered    to    by    Holy 

Women,  1-3. 
The  Parable  of  the  Sower,  4-18. 
The  Mother  and  Relatives  of  Jesus,  19-21. 
Jesus  Stills  the  Storm  at  Sea,  22-25. 
The  Gerasene  Demoniac,  26-39. 
Jesus   Raises  to   Life  the  Daughter  of  Jairus, 

40-56. 

1.  And  it  came  to  pass  afterwards,  that  he  travelled  through  the  cities  and 
towns,  preaching  and  evangelizing  the  kingdom  of  God ;  and  the  twelve  with 
him : 

2.  And  certain  women  who  had  been  healed  of  evil  spirits  and  infirmities; 
Mary  who  is  called  Magdalen,  out  of  whom  seven  devils  were  gone  forth, 

3.  And  Joanna  the  wife  of  Chusa,  Herod's  steward,  and  Susanna,  and 
many  others  who  ministered  unto  him  of  their  substance. 

1.  Afterwards.  The  time  was  perhaps  towards  the  end  of  the 
second  year  of  our  Lord's  public  ministry.     He  is  still  in  Galilee. 

And  the  twelve;  i.e.,  the  Apostles  whom  He  had  chosen  (vi.  13), 
and  whom  He  was  now  instructing  in  the  important  work  of  the 
ministry. 

2.  Mary,  who  is  called  Magdalen.  She  was  called  Magdalen 
from  the  city  in  which  she  lived,  which  was  Magdala,  a  town  on 
the  western  coast  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  It  is  most  probable  that 
this  Mary  was  the  same  as  the  sinful  woman  spoken  of  in  the  last 
chapter,  who  was  also  the  sister  of  Lazarus.  She  was  perhaps 
living  at  Magdala  in  Galilee,  when  our  Lord  began  His  public 
ministry,  and  having  been  converted  by  Him,  she  followed  Him 
from  Galilee  to  Judea,  to  Bethany,  which  some  say  was  her  native 
place,  and  which  was  the  home  of  Martha  and  Lazarus. 

3.  Joanna  .  .  .  Susanna  .  .  .  and  many  others,  etc.  It  was 
customary  among  the  Jews  for  ministering  women  thus  to  follow 
and  assist  great  teachers.     Cf.  i  Cor.  ix.  5. 


.ST.  LUKE  VIII,  4-21  313 

4.  And  when  a  very  grgat  multitude  was  gathered  together,  and  hastened 
out  of  the  cities  unto  him,  he  spoke  by  a  similitude. 

5.  The  sower  went  out  to  sow  his  seed.  And  as  he  sowed,  some  fell  by  the 
way  side,  and  it  was  trodden  down,  and  the  fowls  of  the  air  devoured  it. 

6.  And  other  some  fell  upon  a  rock :  and  as  soon  as  it  was  sprung  up,  it 
withered  away,  because  it  had  no  moisture. 

7.  And  other  some  fell  among  thorns,  and  the  thorns  growing  up  with  it, 
choked  it. 

8.  And  other  some  fell  upon  good  ground ;  and  being  sprung  up,  yielded 
fruit  a  hundredfold.  Saying  these  things,  he  cried  out :  He  that  hath  ears  to 
hear,  let  him  hear. 

9.  And  his  disciples  asked  him  what  this  parable  might  be. 

ID.  To  whom  he  said :  To  you  it  is  given  to  know  the  mystery  of  the  king- 
dom of  God ;  but  to  the  rest  in  parables,  that  seeing  they  may  not  see,  and 
hearing  may  not  understand. 

11.  Now  the  parable  is  this :  The  seed  is  the  word  of  God. 

12.  And  they  by  the  way  side  are  they  that  hear;  then  the  devil  cometh,  and 
taketh  the  word  out  of  their  heart,  lest  believing  they  should  be  saved. 

13.  Now  they  upon  the  rock,  are  they  who  when  they  hear,  receive  the  word 
with  joy :  and  these  have  no  roots ;  for  they  believe  for  a  while,  and  in  time  of 
temptation,  they  fall  away. 

14.  And  that  which  fell  among  thorns,  are  they  who  have  heard,  and  going 
their  way,  are  choked  with  the  cares  and  riches  and  pleasures  of  this  life,  and 
yield  no  fruit. 

15.  But  that  on  the  good  ground,  are  they  who  in  a  good  and  perfect  heart, 
hearing  the  word,  keep  it.  and  bring  forth  fruit  in  patience. 

16.  Now  no  man  lighting  a  candle  covereth  it  with  a  vessel,  or  putteth  it 
under  a  bed ;  but  setteth  it  upon  a  candlestick,  that  they  who  come  in  may  see 
the  light. 

17.  For  there  is  not  any  thing  secret  that  shall  not  be  made  manifest,  nor 
hidden,  that  shall  not  be  known  and  come  abroad. 

t8.  Take  heed  therefore  how  you  hear.  For  whosoever  hath,  to  him  shall 
be  given :  and  whosoever  hath  not,  that  also  which  he  thinketh  he  hath,  shall 
be  taken  away  from  him. 

19.  And  his  mother  and  brethren  came  unto  him ;  and  they  could  not  come 
at.him  for  the  crowd. 

20.  And  it  was  told  him :  Thy  mother  and  thy  brethren  stand  without,  de- 
siring to  see  thee. 

21.  Who  answering,  said  to  them:  My  mother  and  my  brethren  are  they 
who  hear  the  word  of  God,  and  do  it. 


4-10.    See  on  Matthew  xiii.  3-13. 
11-15.    See  on  Matthew  xiii.  19-23. 

16.  See  on  Matthew  v.  15  ;  Mark  iv.  21. 

17.  See  on  Mark  iv.  21,  22. 

18.  See  on  Matthew  xiii.  12;  xxv.  29. 
19-21.    See  on  Matthew  xii.  46-50. 


314  ST.  LUKE  VIII,  22-37 

22.  And  it  came  to  pass  on  a  certain  day  that  he  went  into  a  little  ship  with 
his  disciples,  and  he  said  to  them :  Let  us  go  over  to  the  other  side  of  the  lake. 
And  they  launched  forth. 

23.  And  when  they  were  sailing,  he  slept ;  and  there  came  down  a  storm  of 
wind  upon  the  lake,  and  they  were  filled,  and  were  in  danger. 

24.  And  they  came  and  awaked  him,  saying :  Master,  we  perish.  But  he 
arising,  rebuked  the  wind  and  the  rage  of  the  water;  and  it  ceased,  and  there 
was  a  calm. 

25.  And  he  said  to  them:  Where  is  your  faith?  Who  being  afraid,  won- 
dered, saying  one  to  another:  Who  is  this,  (think  you),  that  he  commandeth 
both  the  winds  and  the  sea,  and  they  obey  him  ? 

26.  And  they  sailed  to  the  country  of  the  Gerasens,  which  is  over  against 
Galilee. 

27.  And  when  he  was  come  forth  to  the  land,  there  met  him  a  certain  man 
who  had  a  devil  now  a  very  long  time,  and  he  wore  no  clothes,  neither  did  he 
abide  in  a  house,  but  in  the  sepulchres. 

28.  And  when  he  saw  Jesus,  he  fell  down  before  him ;  and  crying  out  with 
a  loud  voice,  he  said :  What  have  I  to  do  with  thee,  Jesus,  Son  of  the  most 
high  God?    I  beseech  thee,  do  not  torment  me. 

29.  For  he  commanded  the  unclean  spirit  to  go  out  of  the  man.  For  many 
times  it  seized  him,  and  he  was  bound  with  chains,  and  kept  in  fetters ;  and 

I  breaking  the  bonds,  he  was  driven  by  the  devil  into  the  deserts. 

30.  And  Jesus  asked  him,  saying  :  What  is  thy  name  ?  But  he  said  :  Legion  ; 
because  many  devils  were  entered  into  him. 

31.  And  they  besought  him  that  he  would  not  command  them  to  go  into  the 
abyss. 

32.  And  there  was  there  a  herd  of  many  swine  feeding  on  the  mountain ; 
and  they  besought  him  that  he  would  suffer  them  to  enter  into  them.  And  he 
suffered  them. 

33.  The  devils  therefore  went  out  of  the  man,  and  entered  into  the  swine ; 
and  the  herd  ran  violently  down  a  steep  place  into  the  lake,  and  were  stifled. 

34.  Which  when  they  that  fed  them  saw  done,  they  fled  away,  and  told  it  in 
the  city  and  in  the  villages. 

35.  And  they  went  out  to  see  what  was  done;  and  they  came  to  Jesus,  and 
found  the  man,  out  of  whom  the  devils  were  departed,  sitting  at  his  feet, 
clothed,  and  in  his  right  mind;  and  they  were  afraid. 

36.  And  they  also  that  had  seen,  told  them  how  he  had  been  healed  from  the 
legion. 

37.  And  all  the  multitude  of  the  country  of  the  Gerasens  besought  him  to 
depart  from  them ;  for  they  were  taken  with  great  fear.  And  he,  going  up  into 
the  ship,  returned  back  again. 

22.    See  on  Matthew  viii.  18. 

23-25.    See  on  Matthew  viii.  23-26. 

27-37.  See  on  Matthew  viii.  28-34.  From  the  stories  of  St.  Luke 
and  St.  Mark  regarding  this  demoniac  it  seems  that  the  demoniac 
did  not  first  recognize  Jesus ;  it  was  Jesus  who  first  saw  and  recog- 
nized the  demoniac.    Jesus  had  commanded  the  demon  to  leave  the 


ST.  LUKE  VIII,  38-56  315 

38.  Now  the  man.  out  of  whom  the  devils  were  departed,  besought  him  that 
he  might  be  with  him.    But  Jesus  sent  him  away,  saying ; 

39.  Return  to  thy  house,  and  tell  how  great  things  God  hath  done  to  thee. 
And  he  went  through  the  whole  city,  publishing  how  great  things  Jesus  had 
done  to  him. 

40.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  when  Jesus  was  returned,  the  multitude  re- 
ceived him :  for  they  were  all  waiting  for  him. 

41.  And  behold  there  came  a  man  whose  name  was  Jairus,  and  he  was  a 
ruler  of  the  synagogue :  and  he  fell  down  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  beseeching  him 
that  he  would  come  into  his  house  : 

42.  For  he  had  an  only  daughter,  almost  twelve  years  old,  and  she  was 
dying.    And  it  happened  as  he  went,  that  he  was  thronged  by  the  multitudes. 

43.  And  there  was  a  certain  woman  having  an  issue  of  blood  twelve  years, 
who  had  bestowed  all  her  substance  on  physicians,  and  could  not  be  healed  by 
any. 

44-  She  came  behind  him,  and  touched  the  hem  of  his  garment;  and  imme- 
diately the  issue  of  her  blood  stopped. 

45.  And  Jesus  said :  Who  is  it  that  touched  me  ?  And  all  denying,  Peter 
and  they  that  were  with  him  said :  Master,  the  multitudes  throng  and  press 
thee,  and  dost  thou  say,  Who  touched  me? 

46.  And  Jesus  said:  Somebody  hath  touched  me;  for  I  know  that  virtue  is 
gone  out  from  me. 

47-  And  the  woman  seeing  that  she  was  not  hid,  came  trembling,  and  fell 
down  before  his  feet,  and  declared  before  all  the  people  for  what  cause  she 
had  touched  him,  and  how  she  was  immediately  healed. 

48.  But  he  said  to  her:  Daughter,  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole;  go  thy 
way  in  peace. 

49-  As  he  was  yet  speaking,  there  cometh  one  to  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue, 
saymg  to  him :  Thy  daughter  is  dead,  trouble  him  not. 

50.  And  Jesus  hearing  this  word,  answered  the  father  of  the  maid:  Fear 
not;  believe  only,  and  she  shall  be  safe. 

51.  And  when  he  was  come  to  the  house,  he  suffered  not  any  man  to  go  in 
with  him,  but  Peter  and  James  and  John,  and  the  father  and  mother  of  the 
maiden. 

52.  And  all  wept  and  mourned  for  her.  But  he  said :  Weep  not ;  the  maid 
is  not  dead,  but  sleepeth. 

53-  And  they  laughed  him  to  scorn,  knowing  that  she  was  dead. 

54.  But  he  taking  her  by  the  hand,  cried  out,  saying :  Maid,  arise. 

55.  And  her  spirit  returned,  and  she  arose  immediately.  And  he  bid  them 
give  her  to  eat. 

56.  And  her  parents  were  astonished,  whom  he  charged  to  tell  no  man  what 
was  done. 

man,  and  this  is  why  the  demoniac  came  and  spoke  to  Him  as 
recorded  by  St.  Luke  here  in  verse  29. 

38,  39.    See  on  Mark  v.  18.  19. 

41-55-    See  on  Matthew  ix.  18-25. 


3i6  ST.  LUKE  IX,  1-11 

CHAPTER   IX 

The  Mission  of  the  Apostles,  1-9. 

The  Return  of  the  Apostles,  10,  11. 

The  First  Multiplication  of  the  Loaves,  12-17. 

The  Confession  of  Peter  and  the  First  Predic- 
tion OF  the  Passion.  18-22. 

Christlan  Abnegation,  23-27. 

The  Transfiguration,  28-36. 

Jesus  Heals  the  Man  Possessed  by  a  Devil,  37-43. 

The  Second  Prediction  of  the  Passion  and  Les- 
sons IN  Humility,  44-50. 

Jesus  Departs  from  Galilee,  51-56. 

Lessons  in  Charity  and  Self-denial,  57-62. 

1.  Then  calling  together  the  twelve  apostles,  he  gave  them  power  and  author- 
ity over  all  devils,  and  to  cure  diseases. 

2.  And  he  sent  them  to  preach  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  to  heal  the  sick. 

3.  And  he  said  to  them:  Take  nothing  for  j'our  journey;  neither  staff,  nor 
scrip,  nor  bread,  nor  money ;  neither  have  two  coats. 

4.  And  whatsoever  house  you  shall  enter  into,  abide  there,  and  depart  not 
from  thence. 

5.  And  whosoever  will  not  receive  you,  when  ye  go  out  of  that  cit}%  shake 
off  even  the  dust  of  your  feet,  for  a  testimony  against  them. 

6.  And  going  out.  they  went  about  through  the  towns,  preaching  the  gospel, 
and  healing  ever>where. 

7.  Now  Herod,  the  tetrarch,  heard  of  all  things  that  were  done  by  him ; 
and  he  was  in  a  doubt,  because  it  was  said 

8.  By  some,  that  John  was  risen  from  the  dead  :  but  by  other  some,  that  Elias 
had  appeared ;  and  by  others,  that  one  of  the  old  prophets  was  risen  again. 

9.  And  Herod  said :  John  I  have  beheaded ;  but  who  is  this  of  whom  I  hear 
such  things?    And  he  sought  to  see  him. 

10.  And  the  apostles,  when  they  were  returned,  told  him  all  they  had  done. 
-And  taking  them,  he  went  aside  into  a  desert  place,  apart,  which  belongeth  to 
Bethsaida. 

11.  Which  when  the  people  knew,  they  followed  him;  and  he  received 
them,  and  spoke  to  them  of  the  kingdom  of  God,  and  healed  them  who  had 
need  of  healing. 

1.  See  on  ^Matthew  x.  i. 

2.  See  on  Matthew  x.  7,  8. 
3-5.    See  on  Matthew  x.  9-14. 
7-9.    See  on  Matthew  xiv.  i-io. 
10.    See  on  Matthew  xiv.  13. 


ST.  LUKE  IX,  12-25  317 

12.  Xow  the  day  began  to  decline.  And  the  twelve  came  and  said  to  him  ; 
Send  away  the  multitude,  that  going  into  the  towns  and  villages  round  about, 
they  may  lodge  and  get  victuals ;  for  we  are  here  in  a  desert  place. 

13.  But  he  said  to  them :  Give  you  them  to  eat.  And  they  said :  We  have 
no  more  than  five  loaves  and  two  fishes;  unless  perhaps  we  should  go  and  buy 
food  for  all  this  multitude. 

14.  Now  there  were  about  five  thousand  men.  And  he  said  to  his  disciples : 
Make  them  sit  down  by  fifties  in  a  company. 

15.  And  they  did  so;  and  made  them  all  sit  down. 

16.  And  taking  the  five  loaves  and  the  two  fishes,  he  looked  up  to  heaven, 
and  blessed  them ;  and  he  broke,  and  distributed  to  his  disciples,  to  set  before 
the  multitude. 

17.  And  they  did  all  eat,  and  were  filled.  .And  there  were  taken  up  of  frag- 
ments that  remained  to  them,  twelve  baskets. 

18.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  was  alone  praying,  his  disciples  also  were 
with  him :  and  he  asked  them,  saying :  Whom  do  the  people  say  that  I  am  ? 

19.  But  they  answered,  and  said  :  John  the  Baptist ;  but  some  say  Elias ;  and 
others  say  that  one  of  the  former  prophets  is  risen  again. 

20.  And  he  said  to  them :  But  whom  do  you  say  that  I  am  ?  Simon  Peter 
answering,  said :  The  Christ  of  God. 

21.  But  he  strictly  charging  them,  commanded  they  should  tell  this  to  no  man. 

22.  Saying :  The  Son  of  man  must  suffer  many  things,  and  be  rejected  by  the 
ancients  and  chief  priests  and  scribes,  and  be  killed,  and  the  third  day  rise  again. 

23.  And  he  said  to  all :  If  any  man  will  come  after  me.  let  him  deny  him- 
self, and  take  up  his  cross  daily,  and  follow  me. 

24.  For  whosoever  will  save  his  life,  shall  lose  it;  for  he  that  shall  lose  his 
life  for  my  sake,  shall  save  it. 

25.  For  what  is  a  man  advantaged,  if  he  gain  the  whole  world,  and  lose 
himself,  and  cast  away  himself? 

12.  See  on  Matthew  xiv.  15. 

13.  See  on  Matthew  xiv.  16. 

14.  About  five  thousand  men.  St.  Matthew  (xiv.  21)  says 
about  five  thousand  men,  "  besides  women  and  children." 

16.    See  on  Matthew  xiv.  19. 

18-20.  See  on  Matthew  xvi.  13-16.  St.  Luke  passes  over  several 
important  events  recorded  by  Matthew  and  Mark.  St.  Luke,  how- 
ever, here  observes  that  our  Lord  prayed  before  announcing  His 
Passion,  as  He  was  accustomed  to  do  before  any  important  event. 

From  the  fact  that  Luke  omits  all  mention  of  Jesus'  journey  to 
Caesarea  and  supposes  the  scene  of  ix.  18  to  have  been  in  some 
unknown  place,  exegetes  argue  that  the  accounts  of  Matthew  and 
Mark  were  unknown  to  him. 

21,  22.    See  on  Matthew  xvi.  20,  21. 

23,  24.    See  on  Matthew  xvi.  24.  25. 


3i8  ST.  LUKE  IX,  26-43 

26.  For  he  that  shall  be  ashamed  of  me  and  of  my  words,  of  him  the  Sou 
of  man  shall  be  ashamed,  when  he  shall  come  in  his  majesty,  and  that  of  his 
Father,  and  of  the  holy  angels. 

27.  But  I  tell  you  of  a  truth :  There  are  some  standing  here  that  shall  not 
taste  death,  till  they  see  the  kingdom  of  God. 

28.  And  it  came  to  pass  about  eight  days  after  these  words,  that  he  took 
Peter,  and  James,  and  John,  and  went  up  into  a  mountain  to  pra}'. 

29.  And  whilst  he  prayed,  the  shape  of  his  countenance  was  altered,  and  his 
raiment  became  white  and  glittering. 

30.  And  behold  two  men  were  talking  with  him.  And  they  were  Moses  and 
Elias, 

31.  Appearing  in  majesty.  And  they  spoke  of  his  decease  that  he  should  ac- 
complish in  Jerusalem. 

32.  But  Peter  and  they  that  were  with  him  were  heavy  with  sleep.  And 
waking,  they  saw  his  glory,  and  the  two  men  that  stood  with  him. 

33.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  as  they  were  departing  from  him,  Peter  saith 
to  Jesus :  Master,  it  is  good  for  us  to  be  here ;  and  let  us  make  three  taber- 
nacles, one  for  thee,  and  one  for  Moses,  and  one  for  Elias ;  not  knowing  what 
he  said. 

34.  And  as  he  spoke  these  things,  there  came  a  cloud,  and  overshadowed 
them;  and  they  were  afraid,  when  they  entered  into  the  cloud. 

35.  And  a  voice  came  out  of  the  cloud,  saying :  This  is  my  beloved  Son ; 
hear  him. 

36.  And  whilst  the  voice  was  uttered,  Jesus  was  found  alone.  And  they  held 
their  peace,  and  told  no  man  in  those  days  any  of  these  things  which  they  had 
seen. 

37.  And  it  came  to  pass  the  day  following,  when  they  came  down  from  the 
mountain,  there  met  him  a  great  multitude. 

38.  And  behold  a  man  among  the  crowd  cried  out,  saying :  Master,  I  be- 
seech thee,  look  upon  my  son,  because  he  is  my  only  one. 

39.  And  lo,  a  spirit  seizeth  him,  and  he  suddenly  crieth  out,  and  he  throweth 
him  down  and  teareth  him,  so  that  he  foameth;  and  bruising  him,  he  hardly 
departeth  from  him. 

40.  And  I  desired  thy  disciples  to  cast  him  out,  and  they  could  not. 

41.  And  Jesus  answering,  said:  O  faithless  and  perverse  generation,  how 
long  shall  I  be  with  you,  and  suffer  you?     Bring  hither  thy  son. 

42.  And  as  he  was  coming  to  him,  the  devil  threw  him  down,  and  tore 
him. 

43.  And  Jesus  rebuked  the  unclean  spirit,  and  cured  the  boy,  and  restored 
him  to  his  father. 


26.  See  on  Matthew  x.  32,  33.  Although  the  application  of  this 
verse  is  general,  the  primary  reference  here  is  doubtless  to  our 
Lord's  Passion. 

27.  See  on  Matthew  xvi.  28. 
28-36.    See  on  Matthew  xvii.  1-9. 
37-43.    See  on  Matthew  xvii.  14-17. 


ST.  LUKE  IX,  44-51  319 

44.  And  all  were  astonished  at  the  mighty  power  of  God.  But  while  all 
wondered  at  all  the  things  he  did,  he  said  to  his  disciples :  Lay  you  up  in  your 
hearts  these  words,  for  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  the  Son  of  man  shall  be  de- 
livered into  the  hands  of  men. 

45.  But  they  understood  not  this  word ;  and  it  was  hid  from  them,  so  that 
they  perceived  it  not.  And  they  were  afraid  to  ask  him  concerning  this 
word. 

46.  And  there  entered  a  thought  into  them,  which  of  them  should  be 
greater. 

47.  But  Jesus  seeing  the  thoughts  of  their  heart,  took  a  child  and  set  him 
by  him, 

48.  And  said  to  them :  Whosoever  shall  receive  this  child  in  my  name,  re- 
ceiveth  me ;  and  whosoever  shall  receive  me,  receiveth  him  that  sent  me.  For 
he  that  is  the  lesser  among  you  all,  he  is  the  greater. 

49.  And  John,  answering,  said  :  Master,  we  saw  a  certain  man  casting  out 
devils  in  thy  name,  and  we  forbade  him,  because  he  followeth  not  with  us. 

50.  And  Jesus  said  to  him:  Forbid  him  not;  for  he  that  is  not  against  you, 
is  for  you. 

51-  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  the  days  of  his  assumption  were  accomplish- 
ing, that  he  steadfastly  set  his  face  to  go  to  Jerusalem. 

44.  See  on  Matthew  xvii.  21,  22. 

45.  See  on  Mark  ix.  31. 

46-48.    See  on  Matthew  xviii.  1-4. 

49,  50-    See  on  Mark  ix.  2^7,  38. 

Maldonatus  and  other  commentators  believe  that  the  man  who 
is  here  said  to  have  been  casting  out  devils  had  not  the  power,  but 
only  the  wish  to  cast  them  out.  The  right  of  exorcism,  it  seems, 
was  as  yet  enjoyed  only  by  the  twelve  Apostles. 

51.  When  the  days  of  his  assumption  v^rere  accomplished. 
"  Assumption  "  here  means  the  Ascension  of  our  Lord  into  Heaven. 
The  Ascension  was  to  be  the  crowning  event  of  our  Lord's  earthly 
life;  hence  this  verse  means,  "when  the  days  of  His  Ascension 
were  approaching  their  accomplishment."  Our  Lord  was  now  to 
leave  Galilee  and  was  going  in  the  direction  of  Jerusalem,  where, 
some  six  months  later,  "  after  his  passion  and  death,"  His  Ascensioii 
was  to  take  place.  During  the  six  months  that  intervened,  we  know, 
from  St.  John  (vii.-x.  22),  that  He  made  two  visits  to  Jerusalem 
before  His  crucifixion,  —  at  the  Feasts  of  Tabernacles  and  of  the 
Dedication.  Our  Lord  was  occupied,  during  these  six  months,  in 
preaching  throughout  Judea,  Peraea,  and  Samaria.  It  is  probable 
that  our  Lord,  after  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  returned  to  Galilee. 
His  final  departure  thence  is  given  in  xvii.  11. 


320  ST.  LUKE  IX,  52-56 

52.  And  he  sent  messengers  before  his  face ;  and  going,  they  entered  into  a 
city  of  the  Samaritans,  to  prepare  for  him. 

53.  And  they  received  him  not,  because  his  face  was  of  one  going  to 
Jerusalem. 

54.  And  when  his  disciples  James  and  John  had  seen  this,  they  said :  Lord, 
wilt  thou  that  we  command  fire  to  come  down  from  heaven,  and  consume 
them? 

55.  And  turning,  he  rebuked  them,  saying:  You  know  not  of  what  spirit  you 
are. 

56.  The  Son  of  man  came  not  to  destroy  souls,  but  to  save.  And  they  went 
into  another  town. 

52.  He  sent  messengers;  i.e.,  He  sent  two  of  His  disciples,  per- 
haps James  and  John  (verse  54),  ahead  into  Samaria,  to  prepare 
accommodations  for  Himself  and  those  who  were  with  Him. 

53.  And  they  received  him  not.  The  Samaritans  knew  that  the 
Jews  were  now  on  their  way  up  to  Jerusalem  to  worship  in  the 
Temple ;  and  hence,  from  the  time,  as  well  as  from  the  appearance 
of  our  Lord  and  His  disciples,  they  knew  that  He  was  also  on  His 
way  to  worship  in  the  Temple  of  Jerusalem.  It  was  because  they 
knew  the  end  and  purpose  our  Lord  had  in  His  journey  through 
Samaria  that  they  refused  Him  hospitality.  There  was  a  long- 
standing and  bitter  feud  between  the  Jews  and  the  Samaritans 
over  the  place  of  the  true  worship  of  God.  —  the  former  contending 
that  the  Temple,  in  Jerusalem,  the  latter  that  their  temple  on 
Mount  Garizim  was  the  proper  place  of  worship.  Had  the  Samari- 
tans not  known  the  purpose  of  our  Lord's  going  to  Jerusalem  at 
this  particular  time,  they  would  not  have  refused  Him  hospitality, 
any  more  than  the  Samaritan  woman  at  the  well  had  refused 
Him,  or  the  good  Samaritan  had  refused  help  to  the  wounded 
Jew. 

55.  He  rebuked  them,  saying,  etc.  Our  Lord  here  reminds  His 
Apostles  that  they  are  no  longer  under  the  Old  Law  of  revenge 
and  retaliation,  but  under  the  New  Law  of  patience,  forgiveness 
and  charity ;  and  He  seems  somewhat  displeased  that  the  disciples 
had  so  soon  forgotten  His  injunction  to  return  good  for  evil,  love 
for  hate,  kindness  for  persecution. 

56.  The  Son  of  man  came  not  to  destroy  souls,  etc.  Our  Lord 
here  reannounces  His  great  purpose  in  the  world,  which  was  to 
save  all,  both  good  and  bad,  if  only  they  would  hear  and  obey  His 
teaching  and  cooperate  with  His  grace. 


ST.  LUKE  IX,  57-62;  X,  1  321 

57.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  walked  in  the  way,  that  a  certain  man  said 
to  him :  I  will  follow  thee  whithersoever  thou  goest. 

58.  Jesus  said  to  him  :  The  foxes  have  holes,  and  the  birds  of  the  air  nests; 
but  the  Son  of  man  hath  not  where  to  lay  his  head. 

59.  But  he  said  to  another :  Follow  me.  And  he  said  :  Lord,  suffer  me  first 
to  go  and  to  bury  my  father. 

60.  And  Jesus  said  to  him :  Let  the  dead  bury  their  dead :  but  go  thou,  and 
preach  the  kingdom  of  God. 

61.  And  another  said  :  I  will  follow  thee,  Lord ;  but  let  me  first  take  my 
leave  of  them  that  are  at  my  house. 

62.  Jesus  said  to  him  :  No  man  putting  his  hand  to  the  plough,  and  looking 
back,  is  fit  for  the  kingdom  of  God. 

57-60.    See  on  Matthew  viii.  19-22. 

62.  No  man  putting  his  hand  to  the  plow,  etc.  In  these  words, 
our  Lord  announces  that,  if  anyone  is  engaged  in  His  ministry, 
or  be  His  faithful  follower,  whether  as  cleric  or  layman,  he  must 
devote  himself  unreservedly  to  the  vocation  which  he  has  embraced, 
and  exclude  everything  that  is  opposed  to  such  service. 


CHAPTER  X 

The  Mission  of  the  Seventy-two  Disciples,  and 

THEIR  Return,  1-24. 
The  Good  Samaritan,  25-37. 
Martha  and  Mary,  38-42. 

I.  And  after  these  things  the  Lord  appointed  also  other  seventy-two :  and  he 
sent  them  two  and  two  before  his  face  into  every  city  and  place  whither  he 
himself  was  to  come. 

I.  The  Lord  appointed  also  other  seventy-two;  i.e.,  besides 
the  twelve  Apostles  already  chosen,  He  now  selected  seventy-two 
others  for  the  work  of  the  ministry.  Many  MSS.  iiave  "  seventy," 
instead  of  "  seventy-two,"  but  the  latter  reading,  found  in  almost 
all  the  Latin  versions,  seems  to  be  the  better.  These  seventy  or 
seventy-two  disciples  were  inferior  to  the  Apostles  in  dignity  and 
subordinated  to  them.  Commentators  see  in  their  mission  the 
establishment   of  a   kind  of  hierarchy  among  the  disciples.     The 


322  ST.  LUKE  X,  2-12 

2.  And  he  said  to  them :  The  harvest  indeed  is  great,  but  the  labourers  are 
few.  Pray  ye  therefore  the  Lord  of  the  harvest,  that  he  send  labourers  into 
his  harvest. 

3.  Go :  Behold  I  send  you  as  lambs  among  wolves. 

4.  Carry  neither  purse,  nor  scrip,  nor  shoes;  and  salute  no  man  by  the 
way. 

5.  Into  whatsoever  house  you  enter,  first  say :  Peace  be  to  this  house. 

6.  And  if  the  son  of  peace  be  there,  your  peace  shall  rest  upon  him;  but  if 
not,  it  shall  return  to  you. 

7.  And  in  the  same  house,  remain,  eating  and  drinking  such  things  as  they 
have :  for  the  labourer  is  worthy  of  his  hire.  Remove  not  from  house  to 
house. 

8.  And  into  what  city  soever  you  enter,  and  they  receive  you,  eat  such 
things  as  are  set  before  you. 

9.  And  heal  the  sick  that  are  therein,  and  say  to  them :  The  kingdom  of 
God  is  come  nigh  unto  you. 

10.  But  into  whatsoever  city  you  enter,  and  they  receive  you  not,  going 
forth  into  the  streets  thereof,  say  : 

11.  Even  the  very  dust  of  your  city  that  cleaveth  to  us,  we  wipe  off  against 
you.    Yet  know  this,  that  the  kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand. 

12.  I  say  to  you,  it  shall  be  more  tolerable  at  that  day  for  Sodom,  than  for 
that  city. 

"  seventy-two  "  were  pastors  of  the  second  order,  while  the  Apostles 
were  those  of  the  first  order;  the  former  are  perpetuated  in  the 
priests,  the  latter  in  the  Bishops. 

Two  and  two,  —  for  sake  of  companionship,  mutual  help,  and 
testimony. 

Into  every  city;  i.e.,  into  Judea,  Samaria  and  Peraea,  where  He 
Himself  had  labored. 

2.  See  on  Matthew  ix.  37,  38.  These  same  words  had 
been  previously  addressed  to  the  twelve.  The  twelve  had  been 
sent  to  Israel,  Matthew  x.  5;  but  the  seventy-two,  according 
to  Le  Camus,  might  go  even  to  the  non-Jewish  population  of 
Palestine. 

3.  Lambs  among  wolves.    See  on  Matthew  x.  16. 

4.  See  on  Matthew  x.  10;  cf.  also  4  Kings  iv.  29. 

Salute  no  man,  etc.,  means  that  they  were  to  waste  no  unneces- 
sary time  in  executing  their  mission. 

5.  6.    See  on  Matthew  x.  12,  13. 
7.    See  on  Matthew  x.  10,  11. 

9.    See  on  Matthew  x.  8. 

10-12.    See  on  Matthew  x.  14,  15. 


ST.  LUKE  X,  13-20  323 

13.  Woe  to  thee,  Corozaiu,  woe  to  thee,  Bethsaida.  For  if  in  Tyre  and 
Sidon  had  been  wrought  the  mighty  works  that  have  been  wrought  in  you, 
they  would  have  done  penance  long  ago,  sitting  in  sackcloth  and  ashes. 

14.  But  it  shall  be  more  tolerable  for  Tyre  and  Sidon  at  the  judgment,  than 
for  you. 

15.  And  thou,  Capharnaum,  which  art  exalted  unto  heaven,  thou  shalt  be 
thrust  down  to  hell. 

16.  He  that  heareth  you,  heareth  me;  and  he  that  despiseth  you,  despiseth 
me;  and  he  that  despiseth  me,  despiseth  him  that  sent  me. 

17.  And  the  seventy-two  returned  with  joy,  saying:  Lord,  the  devils  also 
are  subject  to  us  in  thy  name. 

18.  And  he  said  to  them :  I  saw  Satan  like  lightning  falling  from  heaven. 

19.  Behold,  I  have  given  you  power  to  tread  upon  serpents  and  scorpions, 
and  upon  all  the  power  of  the  enemy :  and  nothing  shall  hurt  you. 

20.  But  yet  rejoice  not  in  this,  that  spirits  are  subject  unto  you;  but  rejoice 
in  this,  that  your  names  are  written  in  heaven. 

13-15.  See  on  Matthew  xi.  21-24.  St.  Matthew  relates  these 
denunciations  much  earher,  but  it  would  seem  that  he  is  not  follow- 
ing the  chronological  order.  St.  Augustine,  however,  believes  that 
these  woes  were  repeated  on  two  different  occasions. 

16.  This  verse  shows  the  absolute  divine  authority  with  which 
the  disciples  and  their  successors  in  the  Church  were  endowed  by 
our  Lord  Himself. 

18.  I  sav(^  satan  like  lightning  falling,  etc.  The  seventy-two 
were  rejoicing  before  our  Lord  over  the  great  powers  they  had 
been  exercising  in  His  name  during  their  mission.  The  Lord's 
answer  to  them  may  mean  that  in  His  divine  knowledge,  He  knew 
and  foresaw  all  that  they  were  telling  Him,  and  that,  therefore, 
they  were  communicating  nothing  new  to  Him,  —  He  saw  Satan 
during  their  preaching  losing  his  dominion  over  the  possessed,  and 
his  kingdom  destroyed  with  the  rapidity  of  lightning  at  the  advance 
of  the  Messianic  kingdom;  or  it  may,  and  more  probably  does, 
mean  that  they,  the  disciples,  should  be  on  their  guard  against 
spiritual  pride.  Pride  was  the  cause  of  Satan's  fall,  and  pride  might 
cause  them  likewise  to  fall,  if  they  guarded  not  against  it.  The 
gift  of  miracles  is  not  necessarily  a  guarantee  of  personal  sanctity, 
or  of  final  salvation. 

20.  But  rejoice  in  this,  etc.  Our  Lord  does  not  forbid  the  dis- 
ciples reasonably  to  rejoice  over  the  powers  He  had  given  them, 
but  He  wishes  to  warn  them  against  pride,  and  exhorts  them  rather 
to  rejoice  above  all  passing  things  in  the  hope  of  eternal  salvation. 


324  ST.  LUKE  X,  21-28 

21.  In  that  same  hour,  he  rejoiced  in  the  Holy  Ghost,  and  said:  I  confess  to 
thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  because  thou  hast  hidden  these 
things  from  the  wise  and  prudent,  and  hast  revealed  them  to  little  ones.  Yea, 
Father,  for  so  it  hath  seemed  good  in  thy  sight. 

22.  All  things  are  delivered  to  me  by  my  Father ;  and  no  one  knoweth  who 
the  Son  is,  but  the  Father ;  and  who  the  Father  is,  but  the  Son,  and  to  whom 
the  Son  will  reveal  him. 

23.  And  turning  to  his  disciples,  he  said :  Blessed  are  the  eyes  that  see  the 
things  which  you  see. 

24.  For  I  say  to  you,  that  many  prophets  and  kings  have  desired  to  see  the 
things  that  you  see,  and  have  not  seen  them ;  and  to  hear  the  things  that  you 
hear,  and  have  not  heard  them. 

25.  And  behold  a  certain  lawyer  stood  up,. tempting  him,  and  saying.  Mas- 
ter, what  must  I  do  to  possess  eternal  life? 

26.  But  he  said  to  him:  What  is  written  in  the  law?  how  readest 
thou? 

27.  He  answering,  said :  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  thy  whole 
heart,  and  with  thy  whole  soul,  and  with  all  thy  strength,  and  with  all  thy 
mind :  and  thy  neighbour  as  thyself. 

28.  And  he  said  to  him :  Thou  hast  answered  right :  this  do,  and  thou  shalt 
live. 

He  speaks  as  if  their  names  were  actually  written  in  the  Book  of 
Life,  i.e.,  as  if  their  predestination  were  certain ;  but  His  words 
are  to  be  taken  only  conditionally,  provided,  namely,  that  they  per- 
severe in  His  service  and  friendship. 

21,  22.    See  on  Matthew  xi.  25-27. 

23,  24.    See  on  Matthew  xiii.  16,  17. 

25.  A  certain  lawyer  .  .  .  tempting  him,  etc.  On  account  of 
the  lawyer's  respectful  tone  and  language,  we  are  not  to  understand 
the  word  "  tempting "  in  a  bad  sense,  as  if  he  meant  to  entrap 
our  Lord;  but  as  merely  seeking  for  information.  Having  heard 
the  Saviour  speak  of  eternal  life  the  lawyer  wanted  to  know  what 
he  himself  must  do  to  obtain  it.  The  Law  of  Moses  promised  only 
temporal  life  to  its  observers,  although  the  hope  of  eternal  life  had 
long  been  in  the  Jewish  mind,  and  became  more  distinct  and  more 
ardent  from  generation  to  generation.  See  Sunima  Theol.,  i^  ii^*^, 
qu.  99,  a.  6;  qu.  91,  a.  5;  qu.  107.  a.  i  ad  2. 

27,  28.  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God,  etc.  The  lawyer's 
answer  is  really  a  quotation  from  Deut.  (vi.  5)  and  Levit,  (xix. 
18).  Life  was  promised  to  those  who  observed  the  Law,  but  of 
eternal  life  as  such  the  Lav/  made  no  explicit  mention.  Cf.  on 
Matthew  xxii.  36-40. 


ST.  LUKE  X,  29-34  325 

29.  But  he  willing  to  justify  himself,  said  to  Jesus:  And  who  is  my 
neighbour  ? 

30.  And  Jesus  answering,  said :  A  certain  man  went  down  from  Jerusalem 
to  Jericho,  and  fell  among  robbers,  who  also  stripped  him,  and  having 
wounded  him  went  away,  leaving  him  half  dead. 

31.  And  it  chanced,  that  a  certain  priest  went  down  the  same  way :  and  see- 
ing him,  passed  by. 

32.  In  like  manner  also  a  Levite,  when  he  was  near  the  place  and  saw  him, 
passed  by. 

33.  But  a  certain  Samaritan  being  on  his  journey,  came  near  him ;  and  see- 
ing him,  was  moved  with  compassion. 

34-  And  going  up  to  him,  bound  up  his  wounds,  pouring  in  oil  and  wine: 
and  setting  him  upon  his  own  beast,  brought  him  to  an  inn,  and  took  care  of 
him. 

29.  To  justify  himself;  i.e.,  wishing  to  show  that  his  question 
was  not  yet  solved ;  nor  so  easy  of  solution  as  might  appear.  His 
difficulty  was  in  determining  his  neighbor.  This  we  can  understand 
when  we  remember  that  the  Jews  considered  as  their  neighbor  only 
the  just  and  observant  members  of  their  own  race ;  their  conception 
of  neighbor  was  a  very  narrow  and  restricted  one. 

30.  By  a  beautiful  illustration,  which  many  authors  believe  to 
have  been  founded  in  fact,  our  Lx>rd  now  proceeds  to  show  the 
lawyer  who  his  neighbor  really  was. 

A  certain  man  went  dovi^n,  etc.  Jerusalem  was  situated  on  an 
eminence  and  Jericho  was  some  fifteen  miles  distant,  and  situated  in 
the  low-lying  Jordan  valley.  The  road  between  the  two  was  then,  as 
now,  infested  with  robbers  and  banditti. 

31.  A  certain  priest,  who  perhaps  had  just  been  offering  sacrifice 
in  the  Temple,  and  who-  was  supposed  more  than  others  to  give 
an  example  of  charity  and  mercy.     Cf.  Exod.  xxiii.  5. 

^2.  A  levite,  who  also  was  of  the  priestly  race,  although  inferior 
to  the  priests. 

33.  A  certain  Samaritan.  The  Samaritans  were  strangers 
and  bitter  enemies  of  the  Jews,  and  yet  it  was  one  of  them  who 
was  found  to  show  the  charity  and  mercy  that  was  lacking  in 
the  priest  and  levite.  From  this  the  lawyer  could  see  that  not 
only  the  Jews  were  his  neighbor,  but  all  men,  even  strangers  and 
enemies. 

34.  Oil  and  wine  were  commonly  used  among  the  Jews  as  reme- 
dies for  hurts  and  wounds ;  wine  was  used  for  its  cleansing  proper- 
ties, oil  for  its  soothing  and  healing  qualities. 


326  ST.  LUKE  X,  35-42 

35.  And  the  next  day  he  took  out  two  pence,  and  gave  to  the  host,  and  said : 
Take  care  of  him ;  and  whatsoever  thou  shalt  spend  over  and  above,  I,  at  my 
return,  will  repay  thee. 

36.  Which  of  these  three,  in  thy  opinion,  was  neighbour  to  him  that  fell 
among  the  robbers? 

2,7.  But*  he  said :  He  that  shewed  mercy  to  him.  And  Jesus  said  to  him : 
Go,  and  do  thou  in  like  manner. 

38.  Now  it  came  to  pass  as  they  went,  that  he  entered  into  a  certain  town : 
and  a  certain  woman  named  Martha,  received  him  into  her  house. 

39.  And  she  had  a  sister  called  Mary,  who  sitting  also  at  the  Lord's  feet, 
heard  his  word. 

40.  But  Martha  was  busy  about  much  serving.  Who  stood  and  said :  Lord, 
hast  thou  no  care  that  my  sister  hath  left  me  alone  to  serve?  speak  to  her 
therefore,  that  she  help  me. 

41.  And  the  Lord  answering,  said  to  her :  Martha.  Martha,  thou  art  careful, 
and  art  troubled  about  many  things  : 

42.  But  one  thing  is  necessary.  Mary  hath  chosen  the  best  part,  which  shall 
not  be  taken  away  from  her. 

An  inn.  A  Samaritan  could  not  accept  hospitality  from  Jews, 
and  had,  consequently,  to  seek  shelter  in  a  public  place. 

35.  Two  pence;  i.e.,  two  denarii,  equal  to  about  17  cents  each  in 
our  money.  This  amount  would  be  sufficient  to  take  care  of  the 
sick  man  for  several  days. 

38.  As  they  went;  i.e.,  from  Jericho  to  Jerusalem.  Our  Lord 
with  His  disciples  was  most  probably  on  the  way  to  Jerusalem  to 
assist  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles. 

He  entered  into  a  certain  town,  which  was  most  likely  Bethany, 
the  home  of  Martha  and  Mary  (John  xi.  i). 

Named  Martha.  There  is  mention  here  only  of  Martha,  prob- 
ably because  she  was  the  elder  of  the  family,  with  whom  Lazarus 
and  Mary  lived.  Perhaps  the  house  belonged  to  Simon  the  leper 
(Matthew  xxvi.  6;  Mark  xiv.  3),  who  was  absent  at  this  particular 
time,  and  whose  place  was  taken  by  Martha.  Theophylact  on  this 
passage  thinks  Simon  was  Martha's  father. 

39.  A  sister  called  Mary,  who  was  most  probably  Mary  Magda- 
len, as  we  saw  above  (vii.  37-48). 

Who  sitting  at  our  Lord's  feet.  The  term  "  sitting  "  here  refers 
rather  to  the  attitude  of  mind  and  heart  with  which  Mary  was 
listening  to  the  counsels  and  teaching  of  the  Saviour,  than  to  the 
posture  she  took. 

42.  But  one  thing  is  necessary.    The  one  thing  necessary  for 


ST.  LUKE  XI,   1-4  327 

each  and  all  of  us  is  the  eternal  salvation  of  our  souls  and  the 
means  required  for  this  end.  Other  things,  indeed,  are  necessary 
in  a  relative  sense ;  namely,  in  so  far  as  they  are  required  for  eternal 
salvation.  Our  Lord  commends  Mary  for  choosing  the  means 
more  directly  conducive  to  the  great  end  of  life,  than  those  em- 
ployed by  Martha.'  He  does  not  condemn  Martha  for  her  work, 
but  merely  wishes  to  show  that  to  listen  to  His  counsels  and  teach- 
ings is  more  important  than  any  other  work  we  can  perform. 
Martha  and  Mary  are  types  respectively  of  the  active  and  contem- 
plative lives;  both  are  good,  but  the  contemplative  life  is  the  more 
excellent,  since  in  it  there  are  fewer  chances  for  deviation  from 
the  path  of  holiness. 


CHAPTER  XI 

Jesus  Teaches  His  Disciples  to  Pray,  1-13. 
Jesus  Casts  Out  a  Devil  and  Refutes  the  Phari- 
sees, 14-28. 
The  Sign  of  Jonas,  29-36. 
Jesus  Reproaches  the  Pharisees,  37-54. 

1.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  as  he  was  in  a  certain  place  praying,  when  he 
ceased,  one  of  his  disciples  said  to  him :  Lord,  teach  us  to  prav.  as  John  also 
taught  his  disciples. 

2.  And  he  said  to  them:  When  you  pray,  say:  Father,  hallowed  be  thy 
name.    Thy  kingdom  come. 

3.  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread. 

4.  And  forgive  us  our  sins,  for  we  also  forgive  every  one  that  is  indebted 
to  us.    And  lead  us  not  into  temptation. 

1-4.  The  exact  time  and  place  in  which  our  Lord  spoke 
these  words  cannot  be  determined.  Most  likely  it  was  after 
He  and  His  disciples  had  attended  the  feast  of  Tabernacles  at 
Jerusalem  and  had  returned  to  the  country  beyond  the  Jordan 
where  John  had  preached.  See  on  John  x.  39,  40.  Hence  it  was 
that  the  disciples  were  reminded  of  John,  and  of  what  he  had 
taught  his  own  disciples. 

The  Lord's  Prayer  here  given  by  St.  Luke  contains  only 
five  petitions,   whereas  in   St.    Matthew    (vi.  9-13)    it  has   seven. 


328  ST.  LUKE  XI,  5-13 

5.  And  he  said  to  them :  Which  of  you  shall  have  a  friend,  and  shall  go  to 
him  at  midnight,  and  shall  say  to  him :  Friend,  lend  me  three  loaves, 

6.  Because  a  friend  of  mine  is  come  off  his  journey  to  me,  and  I  have  not 
what  to  set  before  him. 

7.  And  he  from  vi'ithin  should  answer  and  say :  Trouble  me  not,  the  door 
is  now  shut,  and  my  children  are  with  me  in  bed ;  I  cannot  rise  and  give 
thee. 

8.  Yet  if  he  shall  continue  knocking,  I  say  to  you,  although  he  will  not  rise 
and  give  him,  because  he  is  his  friend;  yet,  because  of  his  importunity,  he  will 
rise,  and  give  him  as  many  as  he  needeth. 

9.  And  I  say  to  you,  Ask,  and  it  shall  be  given  you  :  seek,  and  you  shall 
find :  knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened  to  you. 

10.  For  every  one  that  asketh,  receiveth ;  and  he  that  seeketh,  findeth ;  and 
to  him  that  knocketh,  it  shall  be  opened. 

11.  And  which  of  you,  if  he  ask  his  father  bread,  will  he  give  him  a  stone? 
or  a  fish,  will  he  for  a  fish  give  him  a  serpent? 

12.  Or  if  he  shall  ask  an  egg,  will  he  reach  him  a  scorpion? 

13.  If  you,  then,  being  evil,  know  how  to  give  the  good  gifts  to  your  children, 
how  much  more  will  your  Father  from  heaven  give  the  good  Spirit  to  them 
that  ask  him  ? 

Moreover,  according  to  St.  Matthew  this  prayer  was  uttered 
during  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  and  before  a  multitude. 
To  explain  these  differences  many  commentators  believe  we 
have  two  versions  of  the  same  prayer  spoken  on  different  occa- 
sions; and  the  five  petitions  of  St.  Luke,  they  maintain,  sub- 
stantially contain  the  seven  petitions  of  St.  Matthew,  just  as 
the  four  beatitudes  given  by  St.  Luke  contain  the  eight  given  by 
St.  Matthew. 

The  Greek  word,  ewiomios,  which  is  here  (verse  3)  translated 
"  daily,"  is  the  same  in  each  Gospel,  and  yet  it  is  not  found  in 
any  of  the  Greek  MSS.  "  It  is  found,"  says  Origen,  "  neither  in 
the  language  of  the  learned  nor  in  that  of  the  unlearned." 
No  other  word  could  be  found  for  the  Aramean  term  used 
by  our  Lord,  and  hence  those  who  wished  to  teach  the  Lord's 
Prayer  in  Greek  coined  this  word  for  the  purpose.  See  on 
Matthew  vi.  11. 

5-12.  After  giving  His  disciples  the  prayer  which  they  ought 
to  say,  our  Lord  now  teaches  them  by  an  illustration  the  fervor 
and  perseverance  with  which  they  ought  to  pray.  They  are  to 
ask,  to  seek,  and  to  knock  at  the  door  of  His  bounty  until  the 
heavenly  Father  shall  be  moved  to  hear  them.  See  on  Matthew 
vii.  7-1 1. 


ST.  LUKE  XI,  14-28  329 

14.  And  he  was  casting  out  a  devil,  and  the  same  was  dumb :  and  when  he 
had  cast  out  the  devil,  the  dumb  spoke :  and  the  multitudes  were  in  admiration 
at  it: 

15.  But  some  of  them  said :  He  casteth  out  devils  by  Beelzebub,  the  prince 
of  devils. 

16.  And  others  tempting,  asked  of  him  a  sign  from  hcciven. 

17.  But  he  seeing  their  thoughts,  said  to  them:  Every  kingdom  divided 
against  itself,  shall  be  brought  to  desolation,  and  house  upon  house  shall 
fall. 

18.  And  if  Satan  also  be  divided  against  himself,  how  shall  his  kingdom 
stand  ?  because  you  say,  that  through  Beelzebub  I  cast  out  devils. 

19.  Now  if  I  cast  out  devils  by  Beelzebub;  by  whom  do  your  children  cast 
them  out?    Therefore  they  shall  be  your  judges. 

20.  But  if  I  by  the  finger  of  God  cast  out  devils;  doubtless  the  kingdom  of 
God  is  come  upon  you. 

21.  When  a  strong  man  armed  keepeth  his  court,  those  things  are  in  peace 
which  he  possesseth. 

22.  But  if  a  stronger  than  he  come  upon  him,  and  overcome  him;  he 
will  take  away  all  his  armour  wherein  he  trusted,  and  will  distribute'  his 
spoils. 

23.  He  that  is  not  with  me,  is  against  me ;  and  he  that  gathereth  not  with 
me,  scattereth. 

24.  When  the  unclean  spirit  is  gone  out  of  a  man,  he  walketh  through 
places  without  water,  seeking  rest ;  and  not  finding,  he  saith :  I  will  return  into 
my  house  whence  I  came  out. 

25.  And  when  he  is  come,  he  findeth  it  swept  and  garnished. 

26.  Then  he  goeth  and  taketh  with  him  seven  other  spirits  more  wicked 
than  himself,  and  entering  in  they  dwell  there.  And  the  last  state  of  that  man 
becomes  worse  than  the  first. 

2-7.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  spoke  these  things,  a  certain  woman  from  the 
crowd,  lifting  up  her  voice,  said  to  him:  Blessed  is  the  womb  that  bore  thee, 
and  the  paps  that  gave  thee  suck. 

28.  But  he  said :  Yea  rather,  blessed  are  they  who  hear  the  word  of  God, 
and  keep  it. 

14-23.    See  on  Matthew  xii.  22-30. 
24-26.    See  on  Matthew  xii.  43-45. 

27.  Blessed  is  the  womb  that  bore  thee,  etc.  It  is  not  certain 
whether  this  woman  thus  addressed  our  Lord  as  the  result  of  an 
interior  ilkimination  regarding  His  Divinity,  or  from  a  merely 
natural  admiration  of  His  person  and  teaching. 

28.  Yea  rather,  blessed  are  they,  etc.  Our  Lord  now  commends 
above  all  others  those  who  hear  and  keep  His  teaching.  He  puts 
spiritual  relationship  above  carnal ;  but  in  so  doing,  He  commends 
His  blessed  Mother  above  all,  because  she  more  than  all  heard  and 
observed  the  word  of  God.     See  also  on  Matthew  xii.  50. 


330  ST.  LUKE  XI,  29-41 

29.  And  the  multitudes  running  together,  he  began  to  say :  This  generation 
is  a  wicked  generation :  it  asketh  a  sign,  and  a  sign  shall  not  be  given  it,  but 
the  sign  of  Jonas  the  prophet. 

30.  For  as  Jonas  was  a  sign  to  the  Ninivites;  so  shall  the  Son  of  man  also 
be  to  this  generation. 

31.  The  queen  of  the  south  shall  rise  in  the  judgment  with  the  men  of  this 
generation,  and  shall  condemn  them :  because  she  came  from  the  ends  of  the 
earth  to  hear  the  wisdom  of  Solomon ;  and  behold  more  than  Solomon  here. 

32.  The  men  of  Ninive  shall  rise  in  the  judgment  with  this  generation,  and 
shall  condemn  it;  because  they  did  penance  at  the  preaching  of  Jonas;  and 
behold  more  than  Jonas  here. 

33.  No  man  lighteth  a  candle,  and  putteth  it  in  a  hidden  place,  nor  under  a 
bushel ;  but  upon  a  candlestick,  that  they  that  come  in,  may  see  the  light. 

34.  The  light  of  thy  body  is  thy  eye.  If  thy  eye  be  single,  thy  whole  body 
will  be  lightsome :  but  if  it  be  evil,  thy  body  also  will  be  darksome. 

35.  Take  heed  therefore,  that  the  light  which  is  in  thee,  be  not  darkness. 

36.  If  then  thy  whole  body  be  lightsome,  having  no  part  of  darkness;  the 
whole  shall  be  lightsome ;  and  as  a  bright  lamp,  shall  enlighten  thee. 

37.  And  as  he  was  speaking,  a  certain  Pharisee  prayed  him,  that  he  would 
dine  with  him.    And  he  going  in,  sat  down  to  eat. 

38.  And  the  Pharisee  began  to  say,  thinking  within  himself,  why  he  was  not 
washed  before  dinner. 

39.  And  the  Lord  said  to  him  :  Now  you  Pharisees  make  clean  the  outside 
of  the  cup  and  of  the  platter;  but  your  inside  is  full  of  rapine  and  iniquity. 

40.  Ye  fools,  did  not  he  that  made  that  which  is  without,  make  also  that 
which  is  within? 

41.  But  yet  that  which  remaineth,  give  alms;  and  behold,  all  things  are 
clean  unto  you. 

29-32.    See  also  on  Matthew  xii.  38-42. 

33.  See  on  Matthew  v.  15,  16. 

34,  35.    See  on  Matthew  vi.  22,  23. 

36.  The  whole  shall  be  lightsome;  i.e.,  if  the  eye,  or  intention, 
be  upright  and  pure,  the  body  will  be  pure  and  the  whole  man  will 
be  pure.     See  on  Matthew  vi.  22,  23. 

37-39.  The  Pharisee  requested  our  Lord  to  come  and  dine  with 
him,  not  out  of  a  sense  of  hospitality,  but  because  he  wished  an 
opportunity  carefully  to  observe  Him,  and  if  possible,  to  catch  Him 
in  some  fault.     See  on  Matthew  xxiii.  13-25. 

40.  In  this  verse  our  Lord  condemns  the  Pharisees  for  their 
hypocrisy  in  being  so  zealous  about  washing  the  body  while  caring 
nothing  for  the  defilement  of  their  hearts  and  souls. 

41.  But  yet  that  which  remaineth,  give  alms.  Although  the 
iniquity  of  the  Pharisees  is  extreme,  still  our  Lord  tells  them  there 
is  some  hope  for  them,  provided  they  give  alms.     "  That  which 


ST.  LUKE  XI,  42-52  33 1 

42.  But  woe  to  you,  Pharisees,  because  you  tithe  mint  and  rue  and  every 
herb;  and  pass  over  judgment,  and  the  charity  of  God.  Now  these  things  you 
ought  to  have  done,  and  not  to  leave  the  other  undone. 

43.  Woe  to  you,  Pharisees,  because  you  love  the  uppermost  seats  in  the 
synagogues,  and  salutations  in  the  marketplace. 

44.  Woe  to  you,  because  you  are  as  sepulchres  that  appear  not,  and  men  that 
walk  over  are  not  aware. 

45.  And  one  of  the  lawyers  answering,  saith  to  him ;  Master,  in  saying  these 
things,  thou  reproachest  us  also. 

46.  But  he  said :  Woe  to  you  lawyers  also,  because  you  load  men  with  bur- 
dens which  they  cannot  bear,  and  you  yourselves  touch  not  the  packs  with  one 
of  your  fingers. 

47.  Woe  to  you  who  build  the  monuments  of  the  prophets :  and  your  fathers 
killed  them. 

48.  Truly  you  bear  witness  that  you  consent  to  the  doings  of  your  fathers : 
for  they  indeed  killed  them,  and  you  build  their  sepulchres. 

49.  For  this  cause  also  the  wisdom  of  God  said  :  I  will  send  to  them  prophets 
and  apostles;  and  some  of  them  they  will  kill  and  persecute. 

50.  That  the  blood  of  all  the  prophets  which  was  shed  from  the  foundation 
of  the  world,  may  be  required  of  this  generation, 

51.  From  the  blood  of  Abel  unto  the  blood  of  Zacharias,  who  was  slain  be- 
tween the  altar  and  the  temple :  Yea  I  say  to  you,  It  shall  be  required  of  this 
generation. 

52.  Woe  to  you  lawyers,  for  you  have  taken  away  the  key  of  knowledge: 
you  yourselves  have  not  entered  in,  and  those  that  were  entering  in,  you  have 
hindered. 

remaineth  "  (to.  kvbvra)  means,  according  to  some,  that  which  is 
left  over  on  their  table  after  their  feasts,  which  they  should  give 
as  alms  to  the  poor.  Others  understand  the  words  to  refer  to  the 
superfluities  of  their  lives,  which  should  be  given  as  alms  to  the 
poor. 

42-44.    See  on  Matthew  xxiii.  23-29. 

45.  One  of  the  lawyers  answering,  etc. ;  i.e.,  one  of  the  Scribes, 
who  were  the  teachers  and  interpreters  of  the  Law.  The  Pharisees 
observed  the  Law  strictly  according  to  the  teaching  of  the  Scribes 
or  lawyers,  and  hence  the  condemnation  of  the  Pharisees  was  in- 
directly a  condemnation  of  the  lawyers  or  Scribes.  Many  Scribes 
were  also  Pharisees. 

46.  See  on  Matthew  xxiii.  4. 
47-51,    See  on  Matthew  xxiii.  29-36. 

52.  You  have  taken  away  the  key  of  knowledge,  etc.  The 
lawyers  or  Scribes  being  the  interpreters  and  expounders  of  the 
Law  were  guilty  of  the  ignorance  and  errors  of  the  people.     By 


332  ST.  LUKE  XI,  53,  54;  XII,  1,  2 

53.  And  as  he  was  saying  these  things  to  them,  the  Pharisees  and  the  lawyers 
began  violently  to  urge  him,  and  to  oppress  his  mouth  about  many  things, 

54.  Lying  in  wait  for  him,  and  seeking  to  catch  something  from  his  mouth, 
that  they  might  accuse  him. 

arrogating  to  themselves  the  exclusive  right  to  interpret  the  Law 
they  prevented  the  people  from  getting  a  correct  understanding 
of  it.  Thus  they  themselves  refused  to  recognize  our  Lord  as  the 
Messiah  and  taught  the  people  erroneously,  and  in  this  way  pre- 
vented them  from  hearing  Christ  and  obeying  Him. 

53.  Violently  to  urge  him,  etc. ;  i.e.,  fiercely  to  beset  Him  (deivcos 
evex^iu)  with  captious  questions,  in  order  somehow  to  entrap  and 
condemn  Him. 

And  to  oppress  his  mouth;  i.e.,  to  flood  Him  with  questions 
and  extort  hasty  replies  (aToaTsofiari^eLv)  in  which  they  hoped  to 
find  some  fault. 

CHAPTER  XII 

The  Leaven   of   the   Pharisees  —  the  Disciples 

ARE   NOT   TO   FeAR   MeN,    I-9. 

The  Sin  Against  the  Holy  Ghost,  10-12. 
Cautions    Against    Avarice    and    the    Evils    of 

Riches,  13-21. 
Confidence  in  God,  22-34. 
Vigilance,  35-48. 

Jesus  is  Come  to  Cast  Fire  and  Division,  49-53. 
The  Signs  of  the  Times,  54-59. 

1.  And  when  great  multitudes  stood  about  him,  so  that  they  trod  one  upon 
another,  he  began  to  say  to  his  disciples  :  Beware  ye  of  the  leaven  of  the  Phari- 
sees, which  is  hypocrisy. 

2.  For  there  is  nothing  covered,  that  shall  not  be  revealed :  nor  hidden,  that 
shall  not  be  known. 

1.  He  began  to  say  to  his  disciples ;  i.e..  He  spoke  first  (tputov) 
to  His  disciples,  and  afterwards  to  the  multitude. 

Beware  ye  of  the  leaven,  etc.    See  on  Matthew  xvi.  6. 

2.  For  there  is  nothing  covered,  etc.  Our  Lord  here  refers  to 
the  final  revelation  of  the  Last  Judgment  of  the  labors  and  suffer- 
ings of  His  faithful  followers,  together  with  the  wickedness  and 
hypocrisy  of  His  enemies  and  the  enemies  of  the  Gospel. 


ST.  LUKE  XII,  3-14  333 

3.  For  whatsoever  things  you  have  spoken  in  darkness,  shall  be  published 
in  the  light :  and  that  which  j'ou  have  spoken  in  the  ear  in  the  chambers,  shall 
be  preached  on  the  housetops. 

4.  And  I  say  to  you,  my  friends :  Be  not  afraid  of  them  who  kill  the  body, 
and  after  that  have  no  more  that  they  can  do. 

5.  But  I  will  shew  you  whom  you  shall  fear :  fear  ye  him,  who  after  he  hath 
killed,  hath  power  to  cast  into  hell.    Yea,  I  say  to  you,  fear  him. 

6.  Are  not  five  sparrows  sold  for  two  farthings,  and  not  one  of  them  is  for- 
gotten before  God? 

7.  Yea,  the  very  hairs  of  your  head  are  all  numbered.  Fear  not  therefore: 
you  are  of  more  value  than  many  sparrows. 

8.  And  I  say  to  you,  Whosoever  shall  confess  me  before  men,  him  shall  the 
Son  of  man  also  confess  before  the  angels  of  God. 

9.  But  he  that  shall  deny  me  before  men,  shall  be  denied  before  the  angels 
of  God. 

10.  And  whosoever  speaketh  a  word  against  the  Son  of  man,  it  shall  be  for- 
given him  :  but  to  him  that  shall  blaspheme  against  the  Holy  Ghost,  it  shall 
not  be  forgiven. 

11.  And  when  they  shall  bring  you  into  the  synagogues,  and  to  magistrates 
and  powers,  be  not  solicitous  how  or  what  you  shall  answer,  or  what  you  shall 
say; 

12.  For  the  Holy  Ghost  shall  teach  you  in  the  same  hour  what  you  must 
say. 

13.  And  one  of  the  multitude  said  to  him  :  Master,  speak  to  my  brother 
that  he  divide  the  inheritance  with  me. 

14.  But  he  said  to  him:  Man,  who  hath  appointed  me  judge,  or  divider, 
over  you? 

3.  Shall  be  preached  on  the  housetops.    See  on  Matthew  x.  27. 

4,  5.    See  on  Matthew  x.  28.     Into  hell.    See  on  Matthew  v.  30. 
6,  7.    See  on  Matthew  x.  29-31.    In  the  time  of  Cicero  a  farthing 

(the  Roman  as)  was  worth  about  a  cent  in  our  money. 
8,  9,    See  on  Matthew  x.  32,  33. 

10.  See  on  Matthew  xii.  31,  32. 

11,  12.    See  on  Matthew  x.  18,  19. 

13.  Master,  speak  to  my  brother,  etc.  The  Law  of  IMoses 
(Deut.  xxi.  17)  directed  that  the  first  born  should  receive  a  double 
.share  of  his  father's  property,  or  twice  as  much  as  any  other 
one  of  the  children.  In  the  present  case,  the  elder  brother  had 
perhaps  seized  everything,  and  hence  the  complaint  of  the  younger 
brother. 

14.  Man,  who  hath  appointed  me  judge,  etc.  Our  Lord  had, 
indeed,  power  to  decide  any  question  spiritual  or  temporal,  but  here 
He  calls  the  attention  of  His  hearers  to  the  fact  that  His  mission 


334  ST.  LUKE  XII,  15-21 

15.  And  he  said  to  them:  Take  heed,  and  beware  of  all  covetousness;  for  a 
man's  Hfe  doth  not  consist  in  the  abundance  of  things  which  he  possesseth. 

16.  And  he  spoke  a  simihtude  to  them,  saying :  The  land  of  a  certain  rich 
man  brought  forth  plenty  of  fruits. 

17.  And  he  thought  within  himself,  saying:  What  shall  I  do,  because  I  have 
no  room  where  to  bestow  my  fruits? 

18.  And  he  said :  This  will  I  do :  I  will  pull  down  my  barns,  and  will  build 
greater ;  and  into  them  will  I  gather  all  things  that  are  grown,  to  me,  and  my 
goods. 

19.  And  I  will  say  to  my  soul :  Soul,  thou  hast  much  goods  laid  up  for 
many  years,  take  thy  rest ;  eat,  drink,  make  good  cheer. 

20.  But  God  said  to  him :  Thou  fool,  this  night  do  they  require  thy  soul  of 
thee :  and  whose  shall  those  things  be  which  thou  hast  provided  ? 

21.  So  is  he  that  layeth  up  treasure  for  himself,  and  is  not  rich  towards 
God. 

is  above  all  a  spiritual  one,  and  that  He  does  not  wish  to  become 
involved  in  temporal  affairs.  From  this  it  is  rightly  inferred  that 
spiritual  matters  should  likewise  engage  the  chief  attention  of 
Christ's  followers,  even  though  it  be  necessary  at  times  to  take  a 
reasonable  part  in  temporal  concerns. 

15.  Take  heed,  and  beware  of  all  covetousness.  Our  Lord 
takes  this  occasion  to  warn  His  disciples  against  all  inordinate 
seeking  after  temporal  things,  which  should  at  best  be  only  means 
to  spiritual  ends. 

For  a  man's  life  doth  not  consist,  etc. ;  i.e.,  the  true  and  higher 
life  (^0)7]),  by  which  a  man  lives,  is  not  able  to  be  satisfied  by 
perishable  goods. 

16-21.  The  Saviour  now  proceeds  to  illustrate  by  a  parable  the 
utter  insufficiency  and  instability  of  worldly  goods  to  satisfy  the 
needs  of  the  soul,  and  the  folly  of  any  man  who  puts  his  trust  in 
riches.    My  soul  (verse  19)  means  "  myself." 

20.  This  night  do  they  require,  etc.  The  term  "  they  *'  may  here 
refer  to  God  and  His  angels,  who  are  about  to  come  to  judge  the 
"  rich  fool  " ;  or  it  may  simply  express  in  a  personal,  and  therefore 
more  forceful,  way  that  his  soul  is  required. 

21.  So  is  he  that  layeth,  etc.  He  that  has  no  love  to  God,  no 
large  spiritual  affections,  no  sympathies  with  his  brethren,  is 
wretched  and  miserable,  and  poor,  and  blind,  and  naked,  and  shall 
one  day  discover  that  he  is  so,  however  now  he  may  be  saying,  "  I 
am  rich  and  increased  with  goods,  and  have  need  of  nothing  "" 
(Apoc.  iii.  17)  (Trench). 


ST.  LUKE  XII,  22-36  335 

22.  And  he  said  to  his  disciples :  Therefore  I  say  to  you,  be  not  solicitous 
for  your  life,  what  you  shall  eat;  nor  for  your  body,  what  you  shall  put  on. 
2},.  The  life  is  more  than  the  meat,  and  the  body  is  more  than  the  raiment. 

24.  Consider  the  ravens,  for  they  sow  not,  neither  do  they  reap,  neither  have 
they  storehouse  nor  barn,  and  God  feedeth  them.  How  much  are  you  more 
valuable  than  they? 

25.  And  which  of  you,  by  taking  thought,  can  add  to  his  stature  one  cubit? 

26.  If  then  ye  be  not  able  to  do  so  much  as  the  least  thing,  why  are  you 
solicitous  for  the  rest? 

27.  Consider  the  lilies,  how  they  grow :  they  labour  not,  neither  do  they 
spin.  But  I  say  to  you,  not  even  Solomon  in  all  his  glory  was  clothed  like  one 
of  these. 

28.  Now  if  God  clothe  in  this  manner  the  grass  that  is  to-day  in  the  field, 
and  to-morrow  is  cast  into  the  oven;  how  much  more  you,  O  ye  of  little  faith? 

29.  And  seek  not  you  what  you  shall  eat,  or  what  you  shall  drink :  and  be 
not  lifted  up  on  high. 

30.  For  all  these  things  do  the  nations  of  the  world  seek.  But  your  Father 
knoweth  that  you  have  need  of  these  things. 

31.  But  seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God  and  his  justice,  and  all  these  things 
shall  be  added  unto  you. 

32.  Fear  not,  little  flock,  for  it  hath  pleased  your  Father  to  give  you  a 
kingdom. 

2,2)-  Sell  what  you  possess  and  give  alms.  Make  to  yourselves  bags  which 
grow  not  old,  a  treasure  in  heaven  which  faileth  not :  where  no  thief  approach- 
eth,  nor  moth  corrupteth. 

34.  For  where  your  treasure  is,  there  will  your  heart  be  also. 

35.  Let  your  loins  be  girt,  and  lamps  burning  in  your  hands. 

Zd.  And  you  yourselves  like  to  men  who  wait  for  their  lord,  when  he  shall 
return  from  the  wedding ;  that  when  he  cometh  and  knocketh,  they  may  open 
to  him  immediately. 

22-28.    See  on  Matthew  vi.  25-32. 

29.  Be  not  lifted  up  on  high;  i.e.,  be  not  over  anxious,  over  solic- 
itous (jLti)  ixerewpi^ecde )  over  temporal  things  and  the  needs  of  the 
body.  Some  say  that  the  clause  means,  "  be  not  puffed  up  with 
pride"  (St.  Augustine). 

^2.  Little  flock.  Our  Lord  now  addresses  His  disciples,  who 
were  the  nucleus  of  His  Church,  and  He  tells  them  to  be  calm  and 
peaceful,  for  the  heavenly  Father  has  provided  for  them  a  place  of 
happiness  and  abundance  in  Heaven. 

33.  Sell  what  you  possess,  etc.  In  order  to  invite  His  disciples 
to  still  greater  perfection,  the  Saviour  here  counsels  them  to  sell 
what  they  possess  and  become  poor  for  His  sake. 

35,  36.  Let  your  loins  be  girt.  This  injunction  refers  to  the 
custom  among  the  Orientals  of  tucking  up  their  long,  flowing  gar- 


336  ST.  LUKE  XII,  37-46 

2,'7.  Blessed  are  those  servants,  whom  the  Lord  when  he  cometh,  shall  find 
watching.  Amen  I  say  to  you,  that  he  will  gird  himself,  and  make  them  sit 
down  to  meat,  and  passing  will  minister  unto  them. 

38.  And  if  he  shall  come  in  the  second  watch,  or  come  in  the  third  watch, 
and  find  them  so,  blessed  are  those  servants. 

39.  But  this  know  ye,  that  if  the  householder  did  know  at  what  hour  the 
thief  would  come,  he  would  surely  watch,  and  would  not  suffer  his  house  to  be 
broken  open. 

40.  Be  you  then  also  ready  :  for  at  what  hour  you  think  not,  the  Son  of  man 
will  come. 

41.  And  Peter  said  to  him :  Lord,  dost  thou  speak  this  parable  to  us,  or  like- 
wise to  all? 

42.  And  the  Lord  said :  Who  (thinkest  thou)  is  the  faithful  and  wise 
steward,  whom  his  lord  setteth  over  his  family,  to  give  them  their  measure  of 
wheat  in  due  season  ? 

43.  Blessed  is  that  servant,  whom  when  his  lord  shall  come,  he  shall  find  so 
doing. 

44.  Verily  I  say  to  you,  he  will  set  him  over  all  that  he  possesseth. 

45.  But  if  that  servant  shall  say  in  his  heart:  My  lord  is  long  a  coming; 
and  shall  begin  to  strike  the  menservants  and  maidservants,  and  to  eat  and  to 
drink  and  be  drunk  : 

46.  The  lord  of  that  servant  will  come  in  the  day  that  he  hopeth  not,  and  at 
the  hour  that  he  knoweth  not,  and  shall  separate  him,  and  shall  appoint  him 
his  portion  with  unbelievers. 

ments  under  a  leather  girdle  which  they  wore  around  the  waist ; 
this  they  were  accustomed  to  do  when  about  to  begin  a  journev 
or  undertake  some  special  work  (4  Kings  iv.  29;  ix.  i).  The 
lamps  refer  to  the  torches  which  were  carried  at  weddings,  because 
marriage  feasts  in  the  Orient  were  always  celebrated  at  night.  See 
on  Matthew  xxv.  1-13. 

37.  In  this  verse  our  Lord  tells  His  disciples  that  so  pleased  will 
He  be  with  His  faithful  and  persevering  servants,  that  when  He 
comes  He  will  minister  to  them  by  receiving  them  into  His  Kingdom 
and  crowning  them  with  eternal  delights.  On  certain  feast  days 
among  the  Jews  servants  were  allowed  to  eat  with  their  masters  in 
order  to  share  their  joy  (Deut.  xii.  17,  18;  xvi.  ii,  12).  It  is  to 
this  custom  that  our  Lord  now  refers. 

38.  The  night  was  divided  into  four  watches,  according  to  the 
Roman  custom ;  but  there  is  mention  here  of  the  second  and  third 
watches  only,  because,  the  first  watch  would  be  too  early,  the  fourth 
too  late,  to  be  returning  from  a  banquet.  To  come  in  the  third 
watch  meant  to  come  at  the  end  of  the  night,  towards  morning. 

42-46.    See  on  Matthew  xxiv.  45-51.     By  this  parable  Peter's 


ST.  LUKE  XII,  47-53 


337 


47.  And  that  servant  who  knew  the  will  of  his  lord,  and  prepared  not  him- 
self, and  did  not  according  to  his  will,  shall  be  beaten  with  many  stripes. 

48.  But  he  that  knew  not,  and  did  things  worthy  of  stripes,  shall  be  beaten 
with  few  stripes.  And  unto  whomsoever  much  is  given,  of  him  much  shall  be 
required :  and  to  whom  they  have  committed  much,  of  him  they  will  demand 
the  more. 

49.  I  am  come  to  cast  fire  on  the  earth  :  and  what  will  I,  but  that  it  be 
kindled? 

50.  And  I  have  a  baptism  wherewith  I  am  to  be  baptized  :  and  how  am  1 
straitened  until  it  be  accomplished? 

51.  Think  ye,  that  I  am  come  to  give  peace  on  earth?  I  tell  you,  no;  but 
separation. 

52.  For  there  shall  be  from  henceforth  five  in  one  house  divided :  three 
against  two,  and  two  against  three. 

53.  The  father  shall  be  divided  against  the  son,  and  the  son  against  his 
father,  the  mother  against  the  daughter,  and  the  daughter  against  the  mother, 
the  mother  in  law  against  her  daughter  in  law,  and  the  daughter  in  law  against 
her  mother  in  law. 

question  (verse  41)  was  clearly  answered;  clearly  the  words  of  our 
Lord  applied  to  the  disciples,  and  to  all  who  are  entrusted  with  the 
work  of  God. 

47,  48.  These  verses  plainly  show  that  the  punishment  meted 
out  to  sinners  hereafter  will  not  be  equal ;  each  one  will  be  rewarded 
or  punished  according  to  his  works. 

49.  I  am  come  to  cast  fire,  etc.  The  fire  here  spoken  of  is  vari- 
ously interpreted  by  different  commentators.  Most  probably  it 
refers  to  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel,  which,  like  fire,  sliould  en- 
lighten the  minds  and  warm  the  hearts  of  all  well  disposed  to  hear 
it.  Others  think  it  refers  to  the  Holy  Ghost  and  His  gifts,  which 
were  to  inflame  the  hearts  of  the  disciples.  Still  others  believe  that 
the  passage  refers  to  the  persecutions  which  the  followers  of  Christ 
were  to  suffer  for  accepting  and  obeying  the  Gospel  teaching. 

And  what  will  I  but  that  it  be  kindled;  i.e.,  how  great  is  my 
desire  that  this  fire  should  begin  to  burn. 

50.  I  have  a  baptism,  etc.  Baptism  here  refers  to  our  Lord's 
Passion,  which  He  was  eagerly  waiting  to  undergo  for  the  redemp- 
tion of  mankind.     See  on  Mark  x.  38. 

51-53.  Here  our  Lord  predicts  the  divisions  and  separations 
which  the  Gospel  teaching  is  going  to  effect  even  among  those  who 
are  most  closely  united  by  ties  of  kindred  and  friendship.  See  on 
Matthew  x.  34,  35. 


338  ST.  LUKE  XII,  54-59;  XIII,  1 

54.  And  he  said  also  to  the  multitudes ;  When  you  see  a  cloud  rising  from 
the  west,  presently  you  say :  A  shower  is  coming :  and  so  it  happeneth : 

55.  And  when  ye  see  the  south  wind  blow,  you  say :  There  will  be  heat :  and 
it  Cometh  to  pass. 

56.  You  hypocrites,  you  know  how  to  discern  the  face  of  the  heaven  and 
of  the  earth:  but  how  is  it  that  you  do  not  discern  this  time? 

57.  And  why  even  of  yourselves,  do  you  not  judge  that  which  is  just? 

58.  And  when  thou  goest  with  thy  adversary  to  the  prince,  whilst  thou  art 
in  the  way,  endeavour  to  be  delivered  from  him :  lest  perhaps  he  draw  thee  to 
the  judge,  and  the  judge  deliver  thee  to  the  exacter,  and  the  exacter  cast  thee 
into  prison. 

59.  I  say  to  thee,  thou  shalt  not  go  out  thence,  until  thou  pay  the  very  last 
mite. 

54-56,  You  hypocrites,  you  know  how  to  discern,  etc.  Our 
Lord  addresses  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  as  hypocrites,  because 
they  were  able  to  understand  the  meaning  of  natural  phenomena, 
but  feigned  to  be  unable  to  see  the  fulfillment  in  Himself  of  all  the 
signs  and  prophecies  which  related  to  the  Messiah. 

58.  In  this  verse  the  Saviour  warns  His  hearers  that  they  should 
endeavor  by  faith  in  Him  and  in  His  preaching  to  do  penance  for 
their  sins,  and  to  become  reconciled  with  His  heavenly  Father  while 
they  were  living.  Otherwise  the  day  of  judgment  might  overtake 
them  and  find  them  still  at  enmity  with  God. 

59.  See  on  Matthew  v.  26. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

The  Necessity  of  Penance  and  Good  Works,  1-9. 

The  Cure  of  the  Infirm  Woman,  10-17. 

The   Grain   of    Mustard-seed,   and  the  Leaven, 

18-21. 
The  Number  of  the  Elect,  22-30. 
The  Hostility  of  Herod,  31-33. 
Jesus  Laments  Ovek  Jerusalem,  34,  35. 

I.  And  there  were  present,  at  that  very  time,  some  that  told  him  of  the  Gali- 
leans, whose  blood  Pilate  had  mingled  with  their  sacrifices. 

I.  And  there  were  present,  etc.,  —  rather,  "there  came  up" 
{rapyjaav).  This  was  at  the  very  time  that  our  Lord  was  deliverin?^- 
the  discourse  of  the  preceding  chapter. 


ST.  LUKE  XIII,  2-9 


339 


2.  And  he  answering,  said  to  them :  Think  you  that  these  Galileans  were 
sinners  above  all  the  men  of  Galilee,  because  they  suffered  such  things? 

3.  No,  I  say  to  you :  but  unless  you  shall  do  penance,  you  shall  all  likewise 
perish. 

4.  Or  those  eighteen  upon  whom  the  tower  fell  in  Siloe,  and  slew  them : 
think  you,  that  they  also  were  debtors  above  all  the  men  that  dwelt  in 
Jerusalem  ? 

5-  No,  I  say  to  you ;  but  except  you  do  penance,  you  shall  all  likewise  perish. 

6.  He  spoke  also  this  parable :  A  certain  man  had  a  fig-tree  planted  in  his 
vineyard,  and  he  came  seeking  fruit  on  it,  and  found  none. 

7.  And  he  said  to  the  dresser  of  the  vineyard:  Behold,  for  these  three 
years  I  come  seeking  fruit  on  this  fig-tree,  and  I  find  none.  Cut  it  down  there- 
fore :  why  cumbereth  it  the  ground  ? 

8.  But  he  answering,  said  to  him  :  Lord,  let  it  alone  this  year  also,  until  I 
dig  about  it,  and  dung  it. 

9.  And  if  happily  it  bear  fruit:  but  if  not,  then  after  that  thou  shalt  cut  it 
down. 

2,  3.  These  Galileans.  These  were  perhaps  some  seditious  fol- 
lowers of  Judas  of  Galilee  who,  having  in  some  way  rebelled  against 
or  criticized  Pilate,  were  put  to  death  by  him  at  the  very  time  their 
sacrifices  were  being  offered  in  the  Temple. 

Our  Lord  in  these  verses  asked  His  hearers  whether  they  con- 
sidered themselves  less  guilty  of  sin  than  were  these  Galileans 
whom  Pilate  put  to  death;  and  His  answer  to  them  is  that  they, 
indeed,  are  not  less  guilty  or  in  less  need  of  penance. 

4,  5.  The  tower  of  Siloe  was  perhaps  one  of  the  towers  on  the 
walls  surrounding  the  City  of  Jerusalem,  not  far  from  the  fountain 
of  Siloe  which  was  in  the  south-eastern  part  of  the  city.  It  appears 
that  shortly  before  the  present  discourse,  this  tower  had  fallen  and 
killed  eighteen  men,  because  of  their  sins.  Our  Lord  again  asks 
His  hearers  if  they  consider  themselves  more  innocent  and  less 
deserving  of  chastisement  than  these  eighteen  victims.  That  they 
were  not  should  have  been  plain  to  them  later  on,  during  the  last 
awful  siege  of  Jerusalem  by  the  Romans,  when  so  many  of  them, 
in  the  very  midst  of  their  sacrifices,  were  crushed  beneath  the  ruins 
of  their  falling  Temple  and  city.  The  two  calamities  here  adduced 
were,  therefore,  only  faint  pictures  of  the  doom  which  awaited  the 
Jewish  people. 

6-9.  The  barren  fig-tree  is  usually  regarded  as  a  type  of  the 
Jewish  S>'nagogue.  Just  as  the  fig-tree  was  plentiful  in  leaves  but 
had  no  fruit,  so  the  Synagogue  was  abundant  in  external  obser- 


34©  ST.  LUKE  XIII,  10-14 

TO.  And  he  was  teaching  in  their  synagogue  on  their  sabbath. 

11.  And  behold  there  was  a  woman,  who  had  a  spirit  of  infirmity  eighteen 
years :  and  she  was  bowed  together,  neither  could  she  look  upwards  at  all. 

12.  Whom  when  Jesus  saw,  he  called  her  unto  him,  and  said  to  her : 
Woman,  thou  art  delivered  from  thy  infirmity. 

13.  And  he  laid  his  hands  upon  her,  and  immediately  she  was  made  straight, 
and  glorified  God. 

14.  And  the  ruler  of  the  synagogue  (being  angry  that  Jesus  had  healed  on  the 
sabbath) answering,  said  to  the  multitude  :  Six  days  there  are  wherein  you  ought 
to  work.    In  them  therefore  come,  and  be  healed ;  and  not  on  the  sabbath  day. 

vances  and  ceremonies,  but  sadly  wanting  in  genuine  religious 
fruitfulness. 

A  fig-tree  in  a  vineyard  would  be  strange  with  us,  but  it  was 
not  so  among  the  Jews.  In  Palestine  it  is  natural  to  find  fig-trees, 
thorn-trees,  or  apple  trees  in  cornfields  and  vineyards,  or  any  place 
.where  they  can  get  soil  to  support  them.  See  Stanley,  Sinai  &  Pales- 
tine, p.  413. 

These  three  years  (verse  7)  St.  Augustine  understands  to  repre- 
sent the  natural  law,  the  written  law,  and,  at  last,  the  law  of  grace. 
At  all  these  different  periods  the  man  of  the  vineyard.  Almighty 
God,  had  been  expecting  His  chosen  people  to  yield  Him  fruit,  but 
now  the  time  of  their  probation  was  nearing  its  end. 

10.  In  their  synagogue.  The  Greek  has  it,  "  in  one  of  their 
synagogues,"  —  where  the  Jews  were  accustomed  to  assemble  on 
the  Sabbath  to  read  the  Scriptures  and  listen  to  religious  instruc- 
tion.    See  on  Matthew  iv.  23. 

11,  12.  A  spirit  of  infirmity,  which  is  called  in  our  day  curvature 
of  the  spine.  The  disease  still  defies  the  best  efforts  of  physicians. 
Commentators  remark  that  this  is  one  of  the  few  instances  in  which 
our  Lord  performed  a  cure  without  first  being  asked  to  do  so. 

13.  And  he  laid  his  hands  upon  her,  etc.  Our  Lord  could  have 
cured  the  woman  by  a  single  word,  but  in  this  instance,  as  in  many 
others.  He  wished  to  show,  as  St.  Cyril  says,  that  His  Sacred  Flesh 
was  endowed  with  supernatural  powers. 

14.  The  ruler  of  the  synagogue ;  i.e.,  the  president  of  the  syna- 
gogue.    See  on  Matthew  iv.  23. 

Six  days  there  are,  etc.  The  ruler  quoted  correctly  from  Deut. 
(v.  13),  showing  that  he  knew  the  Law,  at  least  in  a  mechanical  way. 
But  his  application  of  the  Law  was  erroneous:  (a)  because  the 
woman  had  not  come  for  the  purpose  of  being  healed;   (b)   even 


ST.  LUKE  XIII,  15-25  341 

15.  And  the  Lord  answering  him,  said:  Ye  hypocrites,  doth  not  every  one 
of  you,  on  the  sabbath  day,  loose  his  ox  or  his  ass  from  the  manger,  and  lead 
them  to  water? 

16.  And  ought  not  this  daughter  of  Abraham,  whom  Satan  hath  bound,  lo, 
these  eighteen  years,  be  loosed  from  this  bond  on  the  sabbath  day? 

17.  And  when  he  said  these  things,  all  his  adversaries  were  ashamed  :  and 
all  the  people  rejoiced  for  all  the  things  that  were  gloriously  done  by  him. 

18.  He  said  therefore :  To  what  is  the  kingdom  of  God  like,  and  whereunto 
shall  I  resemble  it? 

19.  It  is  like  to  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  which  a  man  took  and  cast  into 
his  garden,  and  it  grew  and  became  a  great  tree,  and  the  birds  of  the  air 
lodged  in  the  branches  thereof. 

20.  And  again  he  said  :  Whereunto  shall  I  esteem  the  kingdom  of  God  to  be 
like  ? 

21.  It  is  like  to  leaven,  which  a  woman  took  and  hid  in  three  measures  of 
meal,  till  the  whole  was  leavened. 

22.  And  he  went  through  the  cities  and  towns  teaching,  and  making  his 
journey  to  Jerusalem. 

23.  And  a  certain  man  said  to  him:  Lord,  are  they  few  that  are  saved?  But 
he  said  to  them  : 

24.  Strive  to  enter  by  the  narrow  gate ;  for  many,  I  say  to  you,  shall  seek  to 
enter,  and  shall  not  be  able. 

25.  But  when  the  master  of  the  house  shall  be  gone  in,  and  shall  shut  the 
door,  you  shall  begin  to  stand  without,  and  knock  at  the  door,  saying :  Lord, 
open  to  us.    And  he  answering,  shall  say  to  you  :  I  know  you  not,  whence  you  are. 

if  to  be  healed  had  been  her  aim,  her  action  would  not  have  been 
a  zvork  in  the  true  sense  of  the  Law. 

15,  Ye  hypocrites.  Our  Lord  addresses  His  criticizers  as  "  hypo- 
crites "  because  they  were  pretending  to  have  zeal  for  the  Sabbath, 
whereas  in  reality  they  wished  only  to  condemn  Him,  whose  teach- 
ing was  against  their  sinful  lives.  He  then  proceeded  in  this  and 
the  following  verse  to  draw  a  comparison  between  a  dumb  animal 
and  a  child  of  Abraham,  and  He  contrasts  the  work  of  loosing  and 
leading  an  animal  to  water,  which  was  something  really  servile, 
with  the  laying  on  of  a  hand  to  cure  the  suffering  woman.  The 
hypocrisy  of  their  position  was  plain  to  all  (verse  17). 

18-21.    See  on  Matthew  xiii.  31-33. 

22.  The  Paschal  feast  was  now  about  three  months  off  and  our 
Lord  was  making  use  of  the  time  by  preaching  and  teaching  in 
various  places  throughout  Peraea. 

24.  Strive  to  enter  by  the  narrow  gate.  In  the  Greek  the  word 
for  '*  strive  "  ( dTcoi^tfca-^c)  means  to  exercise  the  greatest  effort,  to 
strive  with  all  one's  might.     From  the  words  of  our  Lord,  in  this 


342  ST.  LUKE  XIII,  26-33 

26.  Then  you  shall  begin  to  say :  We  have  eaten  and  drunk  in  thy  presence, 
and  thou  hast  taught  in  our  streets. 

27.  And  he  shall  say  to  you :  I  know  you  not,  whence  you  are :  depart  from 
me,  all  ye  workers  of  iniquity. 

28.  There  shall  be  weeping  and  gnashing  of  teeth,  when  you  shall  see  Abra- 
ham and  Isaac  and  Jacob,  and  all  the  prophets,  in  the  kingdom  of  God,  and 
you  yourselves  thrust  out. 

29.  And  there  shall  come  from  the  east  and  the  west,  and  the  north  and  the 
south ;  and  shall  sit  down  in  the  kingdom  of  God. 

30.  And  behold,  they  are  last  that  shall  be  first;  and  they  are  first  that  shall 
be  last. 

31.  The  same  day,  there  came  some  of  the  Pharisees,  saying  to  him :  De- 
part, and  get  thee  hence,  for  Herod  hath  a  mind  to  kill  thee. 

32.  And  he  said  to  them :  Go  and  tell  that  fox.  Behold,  I  cast  out  devils, 
and  do  cures  to-day  and  to-morrow,  and  the  third  day  I  am  consummated. 

23.  Nevertheless  I  must  walk  to-day  and  to-morrow,  and  the  day  following, 
because  it  cannot  be  that  a  prophet  perish,  out  of  Jerusalem. 

and  the  following  verse,  it  would  seem  that  the  majority  of  men 
are  lost,  although  we  may  reasonably  say  that  His  words  applied 
chiefly,  if  not  only,  to  those  to  whom  He  was  speaking,  or  to  the 
Jews  of  His  day.  St.  Thomas  and  theologians  generally  teach  that 
the  majority  of  mankind  are  lost ;  it  is  the  common  opinion,  how- 
ever, and  especially  in  our  day,  that  most  Christians  are  saved. 

26.  We  have  eaten  and  drunk  in  thy  presence,  etc.  This  was 
directly  true  of  those  who  lived  in  the  time  of  our  Lord,  but  it  is 
also  indirectly  applicable  to  all  Christians  who  have  been  nourished 
by  the  doctrine  and  sacraments  of  Christ  and  His  Church. 

27.  See  on  Matthew  vii.  22,  23 ;  cf .  Ps.  vi.  9. 

28.  29.    See  on  Matthew  viii.  11,  12. 

30.  See  on  Matthew  xix.  30;  xx.  16. 

31.  Some  of  the  Pharisees,  etc.  The  Pharisees  were  scattered 
all  over  Palestine.  This  present  event  most  likely  took  place  in 
Peraea.     See  on  ix.  1-4. 

32.  Go  and  tell  that  fox.  These  words  show  that  our  Lord  was 
well  aware  of  the  trickery  and  cunning  of  Herod. 

Behold  I  cast  out  devils,  etc. ;  i.e.,  I  continue  to  exercise  charity 
and  perform  works  of  mercy  in  accordance  with  My  mission. 

And  the  third  day  I  am  consummated.  By  these  words  com- 
mentators think  that  our  Lord  meant  to  show  that  His  Passion  was 
near  at  hand  (John  xix.  30). 

33.  I  must  walk  to-day,   etc. ;  i.e.,  I  must  continue  My  work 


ST.  LUKE  XIII,  34,  35;  XIV,   1-6  343 

34.  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  that  killest  the  prophets,  and  stoncst  them  that 
are  sent  to  thee,  how  often  would  I  have  gathered  thy  children  as  the  bird 
doth  her  brood  under  her  wings,  and  thou  wouldest  not? 

35-  Behold  your  house  shall  be  left  to  you  desolate.  And  1  say  to  you,  that 
you  shall  not  see  me  till  the  time  come,  when  you  shall  say :  Blessed  is  he  that 
Cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord. 

according  to  the  decrees  of  the  heavenly  Father.  It  cannot  be 
that  a  prophet  perish,  out  of  Jerusalem.  Although  some  of  the 
prophets,  e.g.,  Jeremias  and  Ezechiel,  were  killed  outside  of  Jeru- 
salem, still  our  Lord's  words  are  a  sad  reminder  that  Jerusalem, 
the  place  above  all  others  favored  by  the  prophets,  was  the  chief 
scene  of  their  martyrdom. 

34,  35-  These  lamentations  were  repeated  during  Holy  Week. 
See  on  Matthew  xxiii.  37-39. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

Jesus  Heals  the  Man  with  Dropsy  on  the  Sab- 
bath, 1-6. 
The  Parable  of  the  Wedding  Supper,  7-14. 
The  Parable  of  the  Great  Supper,  15-24. 
How  TO  Follow  Jesus,  25-35. 

1.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Jesus  went  into  the  house  of  one  of  the  chief 
of  the  Pharisees,  on  the  sabbath  day,  to  eat  bread,  that  they  watched  him. 

2.  And  behold,  there  was  a  certain  man  before  him  that  had  the  dropsy. 

3.  And  Jesus  answering,  spoke  to  the  lawyers  and  Pharisees,  saying:  Is  it 
lawful  to  heal  on  the  sabbath  day? 

4.  But  they  held  their  peace.  But  he  taking  him,  healed  him,  and  sent  him 
away. 

5.  And  answering  them,  he  said :  Which  of  you  shall  have  an  ass  or  an  ox 
fall  mto  a  pit,  and  will  not  immediately  draw  him  out,  on  the  sabbath  day? 

6.  And  they  could  not  answer  him  to  these  things. 

I.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  Jesus  v^ent,  etc.  We  do  not  know 
just  when  this  took  place ;  the  event  is  mentioned  by  St.  Luke  only. 
Between  this,  however,  and  the  events  of  the  preceding  chapter 
occurred  the  feast  of  the  Dedication  (John  x.  22).  To  eat  bread 
means  to  take  food.  They  watched  him  to  see  if  they  could  not 
find  some  fault  in  Him. 

2-6.    Our  Lord  took  the  present  occasion  to  teach  a  lesson  of 


344  ST.  LUKE  XIV,  7-15 

7.  And  he  spoke  a  parable  also  to  them  that  were  invited,  marking  how  they 
chose  the  first  seats  at  the  table,  saying  to  them : 

8.  When  thou  art  invited  to  a  wedding,  sit  not  down  in  the  first  place,  lest 
perhaps  one  more  honourable  than  thou  be  invited  by  him : 

9.  And  he  that  invited  thee  and  him,  come  and  say  to  thee.  Give  this  man 
place :  and  then  thou  begin  with  shame  to  take  the  lowest  place. 

ID.  But  when  thou  art  invited,  go,  sit  down  in  the  lowest  place ;  that  when 
he  who  invited  thee,  cometh,  he  may  say  to  thee :  Friend,  go  up  higher.  Then 
shalt  thou  have  glory  before  them  that  sit  at  table  with  thee. 

ir.  Because  every  one  that  exalteth  himself,  shall  be  humbled;  and  he  that 
humbleth  himself,  shall  be  exalted. 

12.  And  he  said  to  him  also  that  had  invited  him:  When  thou  makest  a 
dinner  or  a  supper,  call  not  thy  friends,  nor  thy  brethren,  nor  thy  kinsmen, 
nor  thy  neighbours  who  are  rich;  lest  perhaps  they  also  invite  thee  again,  and 
a  recompense  be  made  to  thee. 

13.  But  when  thou  makest  a  feast,  call  the  poor,  the  maimed,  the  lame,  and 
the  blind ; 

14.  And  thou  shalt  be  blessed,  because  they  have  not  wherewith  to  make 
thee  recompense :  for  recompense  shall  be  made  thee  at  the  resurrection  of  the 
just. 

15.  When  one  of  them  that  sat  at  table  with  him,  had  heard  these  things, 
he  said  to  him :  Blessed  is  he  that  shall  eat  bread  in  the  kingdom  of  God. 

mercy.  The  argument  which  He  gave  to  the  Pharisees  was  so 
evident  that  they  could  not  answer  Him  without  condemning  them- 
selves, hence  they  were  silent. 

7-1 1.  After  curing  the  infirm  man  our  Lord  now  gives  the 
Pharisees  an  illustration  calculated  to  help  their  spiritual  infirmity. 
He  strives  to  warn  them  against  pride  and  ambition,  and  shows 
them  the  benefits  of  humility. 

12-14.  Call  not  thy  friends,  nor  thy  brethren,  etc.  In  these  words 
and  in  the  verses  that  follow  our  Lord  by  no  means  wished  to 
encourage  disloyalty  to  friends  or  kindred,  for  He  above  all  was 
most  loyal  to  His  friends  and  kindred;  but  He  desired  to  show 
that  we  should  be  kind  not  only  to  friends  and  to  those  who  are 
rich,  but  also  to  the  poor  and  to  those  who  can  make  no  return 
for  our  kindness.  But  to  be  of  merit  in  His  sight  this  kindness  and 
hospitality  to  others  must  be  done  for  God's  sake.  Cf .  Tob.  iv.  7 ; 
Prov.  iii.  9. 

15.  Blessed  is  he  that  shall  eat  bread,  etc.  Most  likely  this  man 
was  inspired  by  the  words  of  our  Lord  to  rise  above  all  carnal 
desires  for  eating  and  drinking,  and  to  long  for  the  true  spiritual 
delights  which  are  the  portion  of  the  Blessed  in  Heaven. 


ST.  LUKE  XIV,  16-22  345 

16.  But  he  said  to  him :  A  certain  man  made  a  great  supper,  and  invited 
many. 

17.  And  he  sent  his  servant  at  the  hour  of  supper  to  say  to  them  that  were 
invited,  that  they  should  come,  for  now  all  things  are  ready. 

18.  And  they  began  all  at  once  to  make  excuse.  The  first  said  to  him :  I 
have  bought  a  farm,  and  I  must  needs  go  out  and  see  it :  I  pray  thee,  hold  me 
excused. 

19.  And  another  said  :  1  have  bought  five  yoke  of  oxen,  and  I  go  to  try 
them :  I  pray  thee,  hold  me  excused. 

20.  And  another  said:  I  have  married  a  wife,  and  therefore  I  cannot  come. 

21.  And  the  servant  returning,  told  these  things  to  his  lord.  Then  the  mas- 
ter of  the  house,  being  angry,  said  to  his  servant :  Go  out  quickly  into  the 
streets  and  lanes  of  the  city,  and  bring  in  hither  the  poor,  and  the  feeble,  and 
the  blind,  and  the  lame. 

22.  And  the  servant  said :  Lord,  it  is  done  as  thou  hast  commanded,  and  yet 
there  is  room. 

16.  The  present  Parable  of  the  Great  Supper  directly  and  im- 
mediately has  reference  to  the  reprobation  and  rejection  of  the  Jews 
and  the  calling  of  the  Gentile  world  to  the  teachings  of  the  Gospel 
and  the  Church.  The  certain  man  is  none  other  than  Almighty 
God,  and  the  great  supper  means  the  teachings  of  the  Gospel  re- 
vealed to  the  world  through  Christ.  The  many  who  were  invited 
were  the  Jewish  people. 

17.  And  he  sent  his  servant,  etc.  Under  the  term  "  servant  " 
are  doubtless  to  be  understood  the  ancient  prophets  who  from  time 
to  time  were  sent  to  the  Jewish  people ;  but  in  particular  St.  John 
the  Baptist,  the  Precursor  of  the  Messiah,  who  endeavored  by  his 
preaching  to  prepare  the  people  for  the  immediate  reception  of 
Christ  and  the  Gospel.  Some  commentators,  however,  think  that 
by  "  servant,"  we  are  more  probably  to  understand  the  Apostles 
and  Evangelists  whom  our  Lord  Himself  sent  out  to  call  the  Jews 
to  the  Gospel  teaching.  The  Apostles  and  disciples  were  doubtless 
the  last  of  the  servants  sent  to  call  the  Jews  to  enter  the  New 
Kingdom. 

18-20.  The  various  excuses  given  by  those  invited  represent 
some  of  the  chief  failings  of  the  Jewish  people,  and  indeed  of 
Christians ;  namely,  inordinate  attachment  to  worldly  things,  pride 
and  curiosity,  unregulated  indulgence  and  gratification  of  carnal 
desires. 

21.  The  poor  and  the  feeble  and  the  blind,  etc.  These  classes 
of  people  doubtless  represented  the  poor  and  suffering  among  the 


346  ST.  LUKE  XIV,  23-27 

2^.  And  the  Lord  said  to  the  servant :  Go  out  into  the  highways  and  hedges, 
and  compel  them  to  come  in,  that  my  house  may  be  filled. 

24.  But  I  say  unto  you,  that  none  of  those  men  that  were  invited,  shall 
taste  of  my  supper. 

25.  And  there  went  great  multitudes  with  him.  And  turning,  he  said  to 
them : 

26.  If  any  man  come  to  me,  and  hate  not  his  father,  and  mother,  and  wife, 
and  children,  and  brethren,  and  sisters,  yea  and  his  own  life  also,  he  cannot  be 
my  disciple. 

27.  And  whosoever  doth  not  carry  his  cross  and  come  after  me,  cannot  be 
my  disciple. 

Jews  in  contradistinction  to  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  the  leaders  and 
teachers  of  the  people. 

23.  Go  out  into  the  highways  and  hedges,  doubtless  refers  to 
the  calling  of  the  Gentiles.  Compel  them  to  come  in.  This  does 
not  mean  that  violence  is  to  be  exercised  in  order  to  lead  people 
to  embrace  the  Gospel  teaching;  it  means  only  that  the  Apostle 
of  Christ  is  to  preach  and  teach  and  instruct,  and  by  his  own  faith 
and  holiness  of  life  to  endeavor  to  persuade  others  to  embrace  the 
truths  of  which  he  is  the  expounder. 

24.  None  of  those  men  that  were  invited,  etc.  This  is  a  clear 
declaration  of  the  rejection  of  all  those  who  refused,  or  shall  in 
future  refuse,  to  accept  our  Lord's  preaching  and  the  teaching  of 
the  Gospel. 

25.  And  there  went  great  multitudes,  etc. ;  i.e.,  great  crowds 
of  people  followed  Him  as  He  proceeded  from  the  banquet  hall  on 
His  way  through  Peraea. 

26.  And  hate  not  his  father,  etc.  Most  certainly  these  words  do 
not  mean  that  any  one  is  really  to  hate  his  father  or  mother  or 
brethren,  because  our  Lord  had  already  commanded  in  the  Sermon 
on  the  Mount  that  we  should  love  even  our  enemies.  The  meaning, 
therefore,  is  that  we  must  never  allow  any  ties  of  human  relation- 
ship to  stand  between  us  and  God.    See  also  ix.  23,  24;  on  Matthew 

X-  37- 

27.  Cannot  be  my  disciple.  By  *'  disciple  "  we  are  most  prob- 
ably to  understand  one  who,  like  the  Apostles  and  the  seventy-two 
disciples,  has  embraced  the  evangelical  counsels,  and  wishes  to 
follow  and  minister  to  Christ  in  a  special  manner.  The  two  parables 
that  follow  of  the  builder  of  the  tower  and  the  king  about  to  make 
war,  seem  clearly  to  show  that  the  word  "  disciple  "  here  means 


ST.  LUKE  XIV,  28-35;  XV,  1  347 

28.  For  which  of  you  having  a  mind  to  build  a  tower,  doth  not  first  sit 
down,  and  reckon  the  charges  that  are  necessary,  whether  he  have  wherewithal 
to  finish  it : 

29.  Lest,  after  he  hath  laid  the  foundation,  and  is  not  able  to  finish  it,  all 
that  see  it  begin  to  mock  him, 

30.  Saying :  This  man  began  to  build,  and  was  not  able  to  finish. 

31.  Or  what  king,  about  to  go  to  make  war  against  another  king,  doth  not 
first  sit  down,  and  think  whether  he  be  able,  with  ten  thousand,  to  .neet  him 
that,  with  twenty  thousand,  cometh  against  him? 

32.  Or  else,  whilst  the  other  is  yet  afar  off,  sending  an  embassy,  he  desireth 
conditions  01  peace. 

2,2,.  So  likewise  every  one  of  you  that  doth  not  renounce  all  that  he  pos- 
sesseth,  cannot  be  my  disciple. 

34-  Salt  is  good.  But  if  the  salt  shall  lose  its  savour,  wherewith  shall  it  be 
seasoned  ? 

35-  It  is  neither  profitable  for  the  land  nor  for  the  dunghill,  but  shall  be 
cast  out.    He  that  hath  ears  to  hear,  let  him  hear. 

rather  one  devoted  to  the  special  service  of  Christ,  than  Christians 
in  general.  Maldonatus,  however,  understands  '*  disciple  "  to  refer 
to  Christians  in  general. 

28-33.  These  verses  show  the  importance  of  careful  considera- 
tion before  undertaking  to  serve  Christ  as  His  special  disciple.  The 
words  are  applicable  in  a  special  manner  to  all  who  enter  the 
ministry  or  religious  life. 

34,  35-  Salt  is  good.  The  meaning  here  is:  Just  as  salt  is  very 
useful  so  long  as  it  retains  its  savor,  but  is  utterly  useless  when 
it  has  lost  it,  so  the  follower  of  Christ  is  useful  so  long  as  he  con- 
tinues united  to  God  by  faith  and  love,  but  is  fit  only  to  be  cast 
out  of  the  Kingdom  of  God  when  he  has  proved  unfaithful  and 
sinful.     See  on  Matthew  v.  13. 


CHAPTER  XV 

The   Parables  of  the  Lost   Sheep  and  of  the 

Lost  Coin,  i-io. 
The  Parable  of  the  Prodigal  Son,   11-32. 

I.  Now  the  publicans  and  sinners  drew  near  unto  him  to  hear  him. 

I.  The  publicans  and  sinners.  The  Greek  has  "all"  the  pub- 
licans and  sinners.  The  meaning  is  that  great  numbers  of  these 
classes  came  to  hear  the  teachings  of  our  Lord. 


348  ST.  LUKE  XV,  2-7 

2.  And  the  Pharisees  and  the  scribes  murmured,  saying :  This  man  receiv- 
eth  sinners,  and  eateth  with  them. 

3.  And  he  spoke  to  them  this  parable,  saying : 

4.  What  man  of  you  that  hath  an  hundred  sheep :  and  if  he  shall  lose  one  of 
them,  doth  he  not  leave  the  ninety-nine  in  the  desert,  and  go  after  that  which 
was  lost,  until  he  find  it? 

5.  And  when  he  hath  found  it,  lay  it  upon  his  shoulders,  rejoicing: 

6.  And  coming  home,  call  together  his  friends  and  neighbours,  saying  to 
them:  Rejoice  with  me,  because  I  have  found  my  sheep  that  was  lost? 

7.  I  say  to  you,  that  even  so  there  shall  be  joy  in  heaven  upon  one  sinner 
that  doth  penance,  more  than  upon  ninety-nine  just  who  need  not  penance. 

2.  Murmured;  i.e.,  they  were  murmuring  { Sieyoyyv^ov) ,  as  they 
were  accustomed  to  do.  The  Scribes  and  Pharisees  falsely  taught 
that,  just  as  the  body  became  legally  defiled  by  contact  with 
sinners,  so  likewise  the  soul  was  defiled  by  mingling  with 
them. 

3.  This  parable.  The  two  parables  that  follow,  of  the  Lost  Coin 
and  the  Prodigal  Son.  are  found  only  in  St.  Luke.  That  of  the 
Lost  Sheep  is  also  in  Matthew  xviii.  12-14,  but  there  the  circum- 
stances and  immediate  sense  are  somewhat  different.  The  purpose  of 
these  parables  is  to  refute  the  erroneous  opinions  of  the  Scribes  and 
Pharisees  relative  to  the  defilement  arising  from  mingling  with 
sinners,  and  to  show  how  pleasing  in  God's  sight  is  the  conversion 
of  a  single  sinner.  St.  Luke,  writing  for  the  Gentiles,  takes  special 
delight  in  recounting  these  parables  which  manifest  the  mercy  of 
God  toward  sinners. 

4-7.  According  to  some,  this  Parable  of  the  Lost  Sheep  is  in- 
tended to  teach  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  that  there  is  more  joy 
in  Heaven  over  the  conversion  of  one  real  sinner,  such  as  they 
despised,  than  over  ninety-nine  so-called  just  people  like  themselves. 
Perhaps  the  true  interpretation  of  the  parable  is,  that  a  single  one 
who  embraces  the  teachings  of  the  Gospel  and  follows  Christ  is 
far  more  pleasing  in  the  sight  of  God  and  of  His  Angels  than 
ninety-nine  whose  justness  and  righteousness  do  not  go  beyond  the 
legal  prescriptions  of  the  Old  Law.  It  is  not  true  to  say  that  the 
repentance  of  a  sinner  really  causes  more  joy  in  Heaven  than  the 
justice  of  ninety-nine  who  have  not  deviated  from  the  Gospel 
teaching.  Our  Lord  was  expressing  Himself  in  a  human 
way.  See  on  Matthew  xviii.  10-14.  Summa  TheoL,  i^,  qu.  20,  a. 
4  ad  4. 


ST.  LUKE  XV,  8-11  349 

8.  Or  what  woman  having  ten  groats;  if  she  lose  one  groat,  doth  not  Hght 
a  candle,  and  sweep  the  honse,  and  seek  diligently  until  she  find  it? 

9.  And  when  she  hath  found  it,  call  together  her  friends  and  neighbours, 
saying:  Rejoice  with  me,  because  I  have  found  the  groat  which  I  had  lost. 

ID.  So  I  say  to  you,  there  shall  be  joy  before  the  angels  of  God  upon  one 
sinner  doing  penance. 

II.  And  he  said:  A  certain  man  had  two  sons: 

8-10.  This  Parable  of  the  Lost  Coin  inculcates  the  same  teach- 
ing as  the  preceding  one.  A  groat  was  a  small  silver  coin,  a  de- 
narius, about  seventeen  cents  in  our  money.  The  woman  in  this 
parable  represents  the  Church,  and  the  candle,  the  word  of  God. 

There  shall  be  joy  before  the  angels  of  God.  These  words  show 
that  the  angels  in  Heaven,  and  consequently  the  saints  also,  know 
at  least  to  some  extent  what  transpires  here  on  earth.  We  do  not 
know  how  or  in  what  measure  the  angels  and  saints  are  aware  of 
earthly  happenings  and  events,  but  that  they  do  know  at  least  many 
temporal  things  is  evident  from  the  present  passage.  It  is  com- 
monly taught  that  they  see  in  God,  or  that  in  some  way  God  makes 
known  to  them,  all  those  temporal  affairs  which  can  to  some  degree 
increase  their  happiness.  Indeed  they  might  without  injury  to 
their  happiness  know  even  those  earthly  things  which  in  this  life 
would  cause  them  pain,  because  in  the  state  of  glory  the  happiness 
of  the  saints  consists  in  seeing  God  and  in  entire  conformity  to  His 
will,  and  hence  nothing  can  make  them  unhappy  which  His  will 
permits. 

II.  The  aim  and  purpose  of  the  parable  that  follows  is  the  same 
as  in  the  two  preceding  parables  of  this  chapter ;  namely,  to  refute 
the  Pharisees  and  to  justify  our  Lord's  action  in  receiving  and 
consorting  with  publicans  and  sinners.  Some  commentators  see  in 
the  two  sons  types  of  the  Gentile  and  the  Jew,  the  former  repre- 
sented by  the  younger  son,  the  latter  by  the  elder.  Thus,  in  this 
opinion,  the  departure  of  the  younger  son  signifies  the  apostasy 
of  the  Gentile  world  from  God,  and  his  return,  the  admission  of 
the  Gentiles  into  the  privileges  and  blessings  of  the  New  Covenant ; 
while  the  elder  son  is  a  type  of  the  narrow  hearted,  self-righteous 
Jew  who  was  unwilling  that  the  Gentiles  should  be  received  on  a 
common  footing  with  himself.  But  this  interpretation  does  not 
seem  in  harmony  with  the  scope  of  the  parable  which  was  to  repri- 
mand the  murmurings  of  the  Pharisees  against  the  sinners  whom 


350  ST.  LUKE  XV,  12-17 

12.  And  the  younger  of  them  said  to  his  father:  Father,  give  me  the  portion 
of  substance  that  falleth  to  me.    And  he  divided  unto  them  his  substance. 

13.  And  not  many  days  after,  the  younger  son,  gathering  all  together,  went 
abroad  into  a  far  country :  and  there  wasted  his  substance,  living  riotously. 

14.  And  after  he  had  spent  all,  there  came  a  mighty  famine  in  that  country ; 
and  he  began  to  be  in  want. 

15.  And  he  went  and  cleaved  to  one  of  the  citizens  of  that  country.  And  he 
sent  him  into  his  farm  to  feed  swine. 

16.  And  he  would  fain  have  tilled  his  belly  with  the  husks  the  swine  did 
eat;  and  no  man  gave  unto  him. 

17.  And  returning  to  himself,  he  said :  How  many  hired  servants  in  my 
father's  house  abound  with  bread,  and  I  here  perish  with  hunger  ? 

our  Lord  admitted  to  His  company.  Hence,  other  commentators 
more  probably  see  in  the  elder  son  a  type  of  the  Pharisees,  and  in 
the  younger  a  type  of  the  publicans  and  sinners.  It  would  be  a 
mistake,  and  beside  the  nature  of  parables,  to  endeavor  to  trace 
every  detail  of  the  parable  and  make  it  apply  either  to  Gentile  and 
Jew,  on  the  one  hand,  or  to  Pharisee  and  sinner,  on  the  other.  In 
this,  as  in  every  parable,  there  are  many  things  purely  ornamental, 
for  which,  consequently,  we  need  not  seek  an  application. 

The  certain  man  of  the  parable  means  Almighty  God ;  the  two 
sons,  as  we  have  seen,  represent  the  just  or  the  reputed  just,  and 
the  sinners  among  mankind. 

12.  And  he  divided  unto  them  his  substance.  We  cannot  sup- 
pose that  this  younger  son  requested  his  portion  as  a  right,  but 
only  as  a  favor,  as  is  evident  from  his  own  words.    See  on  xii.  13. 

13.  Went  abroad  into  a  far  country.  The  literal  meaning  of 
these  words  doubtless  expresses  distance  of  place ;  but  the  sinner 
may  be  far  alienated  from  God  in  heart  although  present  in  body. 

14.  A  mighty  famine,  etc.,  —  words  which  express  the  utter 
distress  and  hunger  of  the  heart  of  the  sinner  that  has  strayed 
away  from  his  God. 

15.  To  feed  swine.  The  feeding  of  swine  is  one  of  the  most 
abject  and  degrading  duties  that  anyone  can  perform.  This  was 
especially  true  with  the  Jews  who  abhorred  swine,  in  particular, 
as  unclean. 

16.  And  he  would  fain  have  filled  his  belly,  etc.  This  shows 
the  utter  want  to  which  the  prodigal  was  reduced ;  in  its  applica- 
tion it  represents  the  state  of  destitution  which  sinners  suffer. 

Husks.    These  were  perhaps  a  kind  of  coarse  sweet  fruit  of  the 


ST.  LUKE  XV,  18-22  351 

18.  I  will  arise,  and  will  go  to  my  father,  and  say  to  him :  Father,  I  have 
sinned  against  heaven,  and  before  thee : 

19.  I  am  not  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son:  make  me  as  one  of  thy  hired 
servants. 

20.  And  rising  up  he  came  to  his  father.  And  when  he  was  yet  a  great  way 
ofif,  his  father  saw  him,  and  was  moved  with  compassion,  and  running  to  him 
fell  upon  his  neck,  and  kissed  him. 

21.  And  the  son  said  to  him:  Father,  I  have  sinned  against  heaven,  and  be- 
fore thee,  I  am  not  now  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son. 

22.  And  the  father  said  to  his  servants :  Bring  forth  quickly  the  first  robe, 
and  put  it  on  him,  and  put  a  ring  on  his  hand,  and  shoes  on  his  feet : 

carob-tree  enclosed  in  pods  like  beans ;  they  were  eaten  pod  and 
all,  and  were  used  to  fatten  pigs.  If  we  see  in  the  younger  son 
the  Gentile  world,  we  can  understand  the  state  of  want  and  misery 
to  which  the  latter  was  reduced  before  the  coming  of  our  Lord. 
The  culture  and  science  of  Greece,  the  wealth  and  luxuries  of 
Rome,  all  pagan  religions  had  striven  for  centuries  to  satisfy  the 
heart  of  man,  but  all  in  vain.  The  state  of  the  Gentiles  at  the 
coming  of  Christ  was  one  of  abject  poverty  of  spirit  and  heart, 
fitly  represented  indeed,  by  this  poor  prodigal  feeding  on  the  husks 
of  swine.  Rightly  indeed  could  it  be  said  that  "  no  man  gave  unto 
him."  The  efforts  of  man  had  been  exhausted,  and  still  the  human 
heart  was  empty  and  full  of  hunger. 

18.  I  will  arise,  and  will  go  to  my  father,  etc.  The  calling  of 
the  Gentiles  to  the  Gospel  teaching,  and  the  raising  of  every  sinner 
from  a  state  of  sin  to  a  state  of  grace,  are  not  the  work  of  man, 
nor  of  the  will  of  man,  but  the  effect  of  divine  grace  illuminating 
the  understanding  and  moving  the  will.  The  first  movements  of 
the  will  towards  God  are  the  effects  of  God's  prevenient  grace. 
Thus  God's  grace  was  the  cause  of  the  salutary  resolution  of  the 
prodigal  to  arise  and  go  to  his  father  and  ask  pardon  for  his 
sin. 

19.  This  verse  shows  the  state  of  sincere  repentance  in  which 
the  prodigal  approached  his  father. 

20.  Here  we  see  represented  the  loving  kindness  of  Almighty 
God  towards  the  sinner,  and  His  readiness  to  receive  him  back 
into  His  friendship. 

22.  The  first  robe  .  .  .  and  a  ring.  The  robe  and  the  ring  were 
ever  regarded  in  the  Orient  as  among  the  highest  tokens  of  favor 
and  honor  (Gen.  xli.  42;  i  Mach.  vi.  is).     This  verse,  therefore. 


352  ST.  LUKE  XV,  23-32 

23.  And  bring  hither  the  fatted  calf,  and  kill  it,  and  let  us  eat  and  make 
merry: 

24.  Because  this  my  son  was  dead,  and  is  come  to  life  again  :  was  lost,  and 
is  found.    And  they  began  to  be  merry. 

25.  Now  his  elder  son  was  in  the  field,  and  when  he  came  and  drew  nigh  to 
the  house,  he  heard  music  and  dancing : 

26.  And  he  called  one  of  the  servants,  and  asked  what  these  things  meant. 
2"^.  And  he  said  to  him :  Thy  brother  is  come,  and  thy  father  hath  killed 

the  fatted  calf,  because  he  hath  received  him  safe. 

28.  And  he  was  angry,  and  would  not  go  in.  His  father  therefore  coming 
out  began  to  entreat  him. 

29.  And  he  answering,  said  to  his  father :  Behold,  for  so  many  years  do  I 
serve  thee,  and  I  have  never  transgressed  thy  commandment,  and  yet  thou  hast 
never  given  me  a  kid  to  make  merry  with  my  friends : 

30.  But  as  soon  as  this  thy  son  is  come,  who  hath  devoured  his  substance 
with  harlots,  thou  hast  killed  for  him  the  fatted  calf. 

31.  But  he  said  to  him  :  Son,  thou  art  always  with  me,  and  all  I  have  is 
thine. 

2,2.  But  it  was  fit  that  we  should  make  merry  and  be  glad,  for  this  thy 
brother  was  dead  and  is  come  to  life  again;  he  was  lost,  and  is  found. 

shows  that  the  prodigal  was  received  back  by  his  father  and  given 
the  highest  signs  of  honor  and  love. 

23.  The  fatted  calf;  i.e.,  the  calf  which  had  evidently  been  kept 
for  a  time  of  special  celebration. 

25.  He  heard  music  and  dancing.  This  does  not  mean  that  the 
members  of  the  family  themselves  were  playing  music  and  dancing, 
which  would  be  alien  to  the  manners  and  feelings  of  the  East;  but 
that  the  members  of  the  family  were  assisting  at  the  music  and 
dancing  furnished  by  others  hired  for  the  occasion. 

28-32.  If  in  the  elder  brother  we  see  the  Pharisee,  and  in  the 
younger  the  publican,  it  is  difficult  to  reconcile  the  following  points : 
(a)  the  scope  of  the  parable,  which  was  aimed  at  the  Pharisees,  as 
against  those  whose  righteousness  was  not  real  but  feigned  and 
hypocritical;  with  (b)  the  apparent  genuine  goodness  of  the  elder 
brother  who  had  never  departed  from  his  father. 

To  solve  this  difficulty  some  commentators  have  thought  that 
the  father  passes  over  the  question  of  the  elder  brother's  righteous- 
ness, not  saying  whether  it  was  real  or  hypocritical ;  but,  granting 
it  to  be  as  the  brother  protests  it  is,  the  father  argues  with  him 
about  his  begrudging  attitude  towards  his  younger  brother.  Others 
think,  and  more  probably,  that  the  protested  and  uncontradicted 
eoodness  of  the  elder  brother  was  not  altogether  false  and  unreal. 


ST.  LUKE  XVI,  1  353 

but  of  a  low  standard,  —  a  legal,  servile,  narrow  justice  which  came 
from  the  Law,  but  which  was  far  removed  from  the  broad  charity 
and  mercy  that  should  be  characteristic  of  the  New  Kingdom,  the 
Church  of  Christ.  Into  the  spirit  of  this  New  Kingdom  of  charity 
and  mercy  the  elder  brother  is  invited  to  enter ;  but  he  hesitates  and 
murmurs,  not  being  able  with  his  legal  narrowness  to  take  in  the 
breadth  of  the  spirit  of  Christ. 

It  may  rightly  be  said  that  the  elder  son,  inasmuch  as  he  stayed 
with  his  father  and  observed  his  commands,  is  a  type  of  the  really 
and  truly  just,  but  in  so  far  as  he  murmured,  criticized  his  father, 
and  envied  his  brother,  he  represented  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees 
whose  justice  for  the  most  part  was  only  feigned  and  hypocritical. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

The  Parable  of  the  Unjust  Steward,  1-13. 
The  Rebuke  of  the  Pharisees,  and  the  Sanctity 

OF  Marriage,  14-18. 
The  Parable  of  the  Rich  Man  and  Lazarus,  19-31. 

I.  And  he  said  also  to  his  disciples :  There  was  a  certain  rich  man  who  had 
a  steward :  and  the  same  was  accused  unto  him.  that  he  had  wasted  his  goods. 

In  the  preceding  parable  of  the  Prodigal  Son,  which  was  prob- 
ably spoken  before  the  one  which  here  follows,  in  the  same  place 
and  at  the  same  time,  our  Lord  shows  how  riches  can  be  squan- 
dered by  riotous  living  and  for  evil  ends ;  but  in  the  present  parable 
He  wishes  to  teach  us  how  to  use  them  for  our  spiritual  welfare 
and  eternal  salvation.  This  Parable  of  the  Unjust  Steward  was 
addressed  not  only  to  the  disciples,  but  to  all  who  were  then  follow- 
ing our  Lord. 

A  certain  rich  man.  By  *'  rich  man  "  some  understand  Al- 
mighty God,  the  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  with  respect  to  whom 
we  are  all  stewards.  Others  think  that  by  the  '*  rich  man  ''  we  must 
understand  Mammon  personified.  Since  this  is  only  a  parable  or 
illustration,  it  would  seem  more  probable  to  say  that  by  "'  rich  man  " 
no  particular  person  is  to  be  understood. 

A  steward;    i.e.,  a  dispenser  iokovonos),  who  had  charge  of  his 


354  ST.  LUKE  XVI,  2-8 

2.  And  he  called  him,  and  said  to  him:  How  is  it  that  I  hear  this  of  thee? 
give  an  account  of  thy  stewardship :  for  now  thou  canst  be  steward  no  longer. 

3.  And  the  steward  said  within  himself:  What  shall  I  do,  because  my  lord 
taketh  away  from  me  the  stewardship?  To  dig  I  am  not  able;  to  beg  I  am 
ashamed. 

4.  I  know  what  I  will  do,  that  when  I  shall  be  removed  from  the  steward- 
ship, they  may  receive  me  into  their  houses. 

5.  Therefore  calling  together  every  one  of  his  lord's  debtors,  he  said  to  the 
first:  How  much  dost  thou  owe  my  lord? 

6.  But  he  said :  An  hundred  barrels  of  oil.  And  he  said  to  him :  Take  thy 
bill  and  sit  down  quickly,  and  write  fifty. 

7.  Then  he  said  to  another:  And  how  much  dost  thou  owe?  Who  said: 
An  hundred  quarters  of  wheat.  He  said  to  him :  Take  thy  bill,  and  write 
eighty. 

8.  And  the  lord  commended  the  unjust  steward,  forasmuch  as  he  had  done 
wisely :  for  the  children  of  this  world  are  wiser  in  their  generation  than  the 
children  of  light. 

master's  goods.     Was  accused  unto  him;  i.e.,  was  "denounced" 

That  he  had  wasted  his  goods;  i.e.,  the  goods  of  his  master  to 
whom  he  was  responsible. 

2.  For  now  thou  canst  be  steward  no  longer.  The  spiritual 
meaning  of  these  words  is  found  in  the  death  of  each  of  us,  after 
which  we  shall  immediately  be  obliged  to  give  an  account  of  our 
stewardship.    At  death  the  time  for  work  and  merit  will  be  over. 

4.  They  may  receive  me  into  their  houses;  i.e.,  that  the  lord's 
debtors  might  receive  him  in  his  need  and  provide  for  his  wants. 

6.  An  hundred  barrels  of  oil.  A  barrel  (Gr.  ^aros;  Heb.  Bath) 
was  equal  to  about  seven  gallons. 

7.  An  hundred  quarters  of  wheat.  A  quarter  (Gr.  Kopos;  Heb. 
Cor)  was  about  sixty-four  gallons,  the  largest  dry  measure  among 
the  Jews.     It  is  evident  that  these  two  debts  were  very  large. 

8.  Forasmuch  as  he  has  done  wisely;  i.e.,  shrewdly  (^pon/icos) . 
It  is  certain  that  our  Lord  did  not  here  mean  to  commend  the  un- 
just action  of  the  steward,  but  only  his  cunning  and  shrewdness. 

For  the  children  of  this  world  are  wiser;  i.e.,  those  who  are 
guided  by  the  wisdom  of  this  world  and  labor  for  the  possession  of 
worldly  ends  and  perishable  riches  are  far  more  shrewd,  zealous, 
and  cunning  in  their  eflforts  and  dealings  than  are  the  children 
of  light,  i.e.,  than  are  those  who  profess  to  live  by  the  light  of  the 
Gospel  and  labor  for  spiritual  ends. 


ST.  LUKE  XVI,  9-12  355 

9.  And  I  say  to  you;  Make  unto  you  friends  of  the  mammon  of  iniquity; 
that  when  you  shall  fail,  they  may  receive  you  into  everlasting  dwellings. 

10.  He  that  is  faithful  in  that  which  is  least,  is  faithful  also  in  that  which 
is  greater:  and  he  that  is  unjust  in  that  which  is  httle,  is  unjust  also  in  that 
which  is  greater. 

11.  If  then  you  have  not  been  faithful  in  the  unjust  mammon;  who  will 
trust  you  with  that  which  is  the  true  ? 

12.  And  if  you  have  not  been  faithful  in  that  which  is  another's;  who  will 
give  you  that  which  is  your  own  ? 

9.  I  say  to  you.  Our  Lord  now  begins  to  apply  the  parable 
in  a  practical  way.  Make  unto  you  friends  of  the  mammon  of 
iniquity.  Mammon  is  an  Aramaic  or  Syrian  word,  meaning 
"  riches."  Riches  are  called  "  mammon  of  iniquity "  because  of 
their  tendency  to  lead  men  into  sin.  Our  Lord  here  tells  His  fol- 
lowers so  to  use  riches  for  the  glory  of  God,  for  the  relief  of  the 
poor,  and  for  their  spiritual  welfare,  that  when  death  comes  they 
may  receive  an  eternal  reward,  as  a  recompense  for  the  good  uses 
to  which  they  shall  have  put  their  earthly  possessions. 

That  when  you  shall  fail;  i.e.,  when  you  shall  die.  The  best 
MSS.  have,  "  when  it  shall  fail."  The  meaning  is  the  same.  The 
good  uses  to  which  riches  may  be  put  are  here  personified  and 
spoken  of  as  being  with  God  and  waiting  to  receive  their  faithful 
and  religious  stewards  into  eternal  happiness. 

Everlasting  dwellings,  —  literally,  "  everlasting  tents."  The 
allusion  is  to  the  tents  of  the  Israelites  which  they  used  after  leav- 
ing Egypt,  and  which  were  a  type  of  the  everlasting  dwellings  in 
Heaven. 

10,  II.  Our  Lord  now  calls  attention  to  the  well-known  fact  that 
he  who  is  faithful  in  little  things  will  be  faithful  also  in  great  things ; 
he  that  is  just  in  the  discharge  of  temporal  things  will  usually  be 
found  just  in  spiritual  things.  This  precept  about  fidelity  to  little 
things  seems  out  of  place  here;  its  natural  place  is  after  the  two 
parables  of  the  servants  who  are  rewarded  according  to  their  fidelity 
in  making  their  talents  bear  fruit  (Luke  xix.  11-28;  Matthew  xxv. 
14-23). 

12,  Who  will  give  you  that  which  is  your  own?  If  we  accept 
the  reading  "your  own"  (vnkTepov),  the  meaning  is:  If  you  have 
misused  the  temporal  gifts  of  God  entrusted  to  you,  how  will  He 
trust  you  with  the  spiritual  gifts  which  you  need  as  a  means  to 


356  ST.  LUKE  XVI,  13-17 

13.  No  servant  can  serve  two  masters :  for  either  he  will  hate  the  one,  and 
love  the  other;  or  he  will  hold  to  the  one,  and  despise  the  other.  You  cannot 
serve  God  and  mammon. 

14.  Now  the  Pharisees,  who  were  covetous,  heard  all  these  things :  and  they 
derided  him. 

15.  And  he  said  to  them:  You  are  they  who  justify  yourselves  before  men, 
but  God  knoweth  your  hearts ;  for  that  which  is  high  to  men,  is  an  abomina- 
tion before  God. 

16.  The  law  and  the  prophets  were  until  John ;  from  that  time  the  kingdom 
of  God  is  preached,  and  every  one  useth  violence  towards  it. 

17.  And  it  is  easier  for  heaven  and  earth  to  pass,  than  one  tittle  of  the 
law  to  fall. 

your  end.  Some  MSS.  have  "our  own"  ('^ukrepov)  —  according 
to  which  the  meanding  would  be :  Which  of  us  would  trust  you  with 
that  which  is  our  own,  if  you  have  been  unfaithful  with  that  which 
is  God's? 

13.  No  servant  can  serve  two  masters;  i.e.,  no  one  can  be  the 
slave,  or  devoted  servant  of  two  masters  diametrically  opposed,  as 
are  God  and  mammon. 

14.  Covetous;  i.e.,  devoted  to,  or  the  slave  of  riches. 

Derided  him.  The  Pharisees  were  incensed  at  our  Lord's  con- 
demnation of  riches,  because  they  thought  that  the  amassing  of 
wealth  was  entirely  compatible  with  God's  service,  especially  since 
the  Law  of  Moses  had  promised  temporal  blessings  to  its  faithful 
observers. 

15.  God  knoweth  your  hearts.  Before  men  the  Pharisees  af- 
fected to  be,  and  were  reputed  to  be,  just;  but  God,  who  could 
read  their  hearts,  saw  that  they  were  filled  with  avarice,  hypocrisy, 
and  injustice. 

That  which  is  high  to  men,  etc. ;  i.e.,  things  that  appear  very 
great  and  good  in  the  eyes  of  the  world  may  be  an  abomination 
before  God. 

16.  The  law  and  the  prophets  were  until  John;  i.e.,  that  Law 
which  promised  temporal  rewards  to  its  faithful  observers,  but 
which  was  only  a  shadow  of  the  New  Law,  was  in  force  till  the 
time  of  John  the  Baptist ;  but  since  that  time  the  New  Law,  the 
Law  of  the  Gospel,  is  preached,  and  promises,  not  temporal  but 
eternal  rewards  to  those  who  obey  it.  See  also  on  Matthew  xi. 
12-14. 

17.  See  on  Matthew  v.  18,  19. 


ST.  LUKE  XVI,  18,   19  357 

18.  Every  one  that  putteth  away  his  wife,  and  inarrietli  another,  commit- 
teth  adultery :  and  he  that  marrieth  her  that  is  put  away  from  her  husband, 
committeth  adultery. 

19.  There  was  a  certain  rich  man,  who  was  clothed  in  purple  and  fine  linen ; 
and  feasted  sumptuously  every  day. 

18.  See  on  Matthew  v.  31,  32;  xix.  9.  This  verse  calls  attention 
to  a  part  of  the  Law  which  the  Pharisees  commonly  violated,  hence 
its  connection  with  the  foregoing  verses. 

19.  It  is  the  opinion  of  many  commentators  that  verses  13-18, 
inclusive,  of  this  chapter  were  spoken  on  a  different  occasion,  and 
inserted  here  by  St.  Luke  when  he  wrote  his  Gospel,  without  much 
connection  with  what  precedes  or  follows  in  the  chapter.  There  is, 
however,  a  real  connection.  In  the  first  ten  verses  our  Lord  is 
showing  how  riches  can  be  prudently  and  profitably  used  in  doing 
good,  for  spiritual  ends ;  and  now  He  describes  to  the  Pharisees 
who  "  derided  him  "  the  terrible  punishment  which  will  befall  those 
who  neglect  to  relieve  the  poor  and  put  their  riches  to  higher  uses. 

Our  Lord  also  wishes  to  show  in  the  parable,  or  example,  which 
follows,  the  difference  between  the  true  Israelites  who  were  really 
faithful  to  the  Law  and  the  Prophets,  and  the  false  ones,  Hke  the 
Pharisees,  who  cited  the  Law  and  Prophets  only  when  it  was  to 
their  advantage,  and  who  pretended  a  justice  and  an  observance 
which  did  not  belong  to  them. 

It  is  a  question  among  commentators  whether  our  Lord  is  here 
(19-31)  relating  a  historical  fact,  or  giving  a  mere  parable  or 
imaginary  picture,  typical  albeit  of  realities.  The  majority  hold 
that  Pie  is  recounting  a  historical  fact,  colored  here  and  there  with 
parabolical  imagery. 

The  parable  is  directed  against  the  Pharisees,  who  are  called 
covetous  or  lovers  of  wealth,  and  who  derided  our  Lord  (verse  14) 
for  warning  them  against  the  dangers  of  riches.  But  both  in  the 
Pharisees  and  in  the  rich  man  in  the  parable,  the  sin  primarily 
condemned,  the  evil  root  out  of  which  their  other  sins  grew,  is  their 
lack  of  faith,  of  real  belief  in  God  and  in  spiritual  things,  and  their 
consequent  attachment  to  worldly  possessions.  The  Pharisees  were 
covetous,  but  they  are  nowhere  charged  with  excess  and  prodigality 
in  living ;  many  of  them,  on  the  contrary,  were  austere  ascetics. 
Their  covetousness  consisted  in  undue  gathering  and  hoarding  of 


358  ST.  LUKE  XVI,  20-23 

20.  And  there  was  a  certain  beggar,  named  Lazarus,  who  lay  at  his  gate, 
full  of  sores, 

21.  Desiring  to  be  filled  with  the  crumbs  that  fell  from  the  rich  man's  table, 
and  no  one  did  give  him ;  moreover  the  dogs  came,  and  licked  his  sores. 

22.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  the  beggar  died,  and  was  carried  by  the  angels 
into  Abraham's  bosom.    And  the  rich  man  also  died  :  and  he  was  buried  in  hell. 

23.  And  Ufting  up  his  eyes  when  he  was  in  torments,  he  saw  Abraham  afar 
off,  and  Lazarus  in  his  bosom : 

wealth,  rather  than  in  undue  pursuit  of  pleasure.  The  primary  in- 
tention, therefore,  of  this  parable  is  to  teach  the  dreadful  consequences 
of  unbelief  in  God  and  spiritual  things,  and  of  attachment  to  the 
things  of  the  world.  Inordinate  self-indulgence,  the  abuse  of  wealth 
and  hard-heartedness  towards  the  poor,  which  were  sins  of  the  rich 
man  in  the  parable,  are  the  logical  results  of  unbelief  in  God. 

A  certain  rich  man.  Our  Lord  does  not  give  the  name  of  the 
rich  man  because,  as  St.  Augustine  says  {Scrm.  xli),  He  seems  to 
have  "  been  reading  from  the  Book  of  Life  where  He  found  the 
name  of  the  poor  man  written,  but  found  not  the  name  of  the  rich." 

20.  Lazarus,  —  which  means,  "  helped  by  God,"  or  "  God  is  my 
help." 

21.  And  no  one  did  give  him.  These  words  are  not  expressed 
in  the  Greek,  although  the  utter  destitution  which  they  show  is 
evident  from  the  context. 

22.  Into  Abraham's  bosom.  This  was  a  familiar  phrase  among 
the  Jews  to  express  intimate  relationship,  innermost  communion. 
The  Jews  thought  that  all  true  believers  were  taken  after  death 
into  Abraham's  bosom,  i.e.,  into  intimate  companionship  with  the 
father  of  their  race. 

Buried  in  hell.  The  word  "hell"  means  "Hades"  (Heb. 
Sheol),  which  was  a  general  term  to  designate  the  abode  of  all 
those  who  died  before  the  Resurrection  of  Christ.  Hades,  there- 
fore, was  divided  into  two  parts  —  one  called  Abraham's  bosom, 
or  Paradise  (the  Limbo  of  the  Fathers)  ;  and  Gehenna,  or  the 
place  of  torment  for  the  wicked.  Cf .  on  Matthew  v.  30 ;  xi.  23 ; 
xvi.  18 ;  Luke  x.  15.  See  also  article  by  M.  Tonzard,  Revue  Biblique, 
April,  1898. 

23.  When  he  was  in  torments.  These  words  show  that  Dives 
was  in  that  part  of  Hades  called  Gehenna. 

He   sav\^   Abraham   afar   off,    etc.    These   are   figurative   words 


ST.  LUKE  XVI,  24-27  359 

24.  And  he  cried,  and  said :  Father  Abraham,  have  mercy  on  me,  and  send 
Lazarus,  that  he  may  dip  the  tip  of  his  finger  in  water,  to  cool  my  tongue :  for 
1  am  tormented  in  this  flame. 

25.  And  Abraham  said  to  him  :  Son,  remember  that  thou  didst  receive  good 
things  in  thy  lifetime,  and  likewise  Lazarus  evil  things,  but  now  he  is  com- 
forted ;  and  thou  art  tormented. 

26.  And  besides  all  this,  between  us  and  you,  there  is  fixed  a  great  chaos : 
so  that  they  who  would  pass  from  hence  to  you,  cannot,  nor  from  thence  come 
hither. 

2-].  And  he  said:  Then,  father,  I  beseech  thee,  that  thou  wouldst  send  him 
to  my  father's  house,  for  I  have  five  brethren, 

which  express  the  eternal  anguish  of  the  damned,  as  they  ever 
revolve  and  compare  in  mind  their  miserable  state  with  the  state 
of  the  Blessed  in  Heaven. 

24.  To  cool  my  tongue.  This  is  a  tropological  way  of  expressing 
Dives'  torment ;  although  neither  his  tongue  nor  his  body  was  in 
that  place  of  punishment,  yet  there  is  mention  of  the  tongue,  per- 
haps because  it  was  through  that  member  that  he  had  most  offended 
during  life.     Cf.  Apoc.  xviii.  7. 

I  am  tormented  in  this  flame.  Theologians  are  not  agreed  as 
to  the  manner  in  which  material  fire  can  torment  a  spirit.  Suarez 
says  that  it  is  by  a  supernatural  virtue  communicated  to  fire ; 
St.  Thomas  holds  that  material  fire  torments  the  lost  spirits  by 
ligation,  by  restraining  them,  and  thus  inhibiting  their  activity, 
which  is  the  greatest  torment  a  spirit  can  suffer. 

25.  Good  things.  In  the  Greek  it  is,  "  thy  good  things,"  — 
which  were  his  temporal  felicities,  his  purple  and  fine  linen. 

Lazarus  evil  things,  —  which  were  his  poverty,  his  hunger,  and 
his  ulcers.  The  rich  man  was  condemned  not  because  he  possessed 
riches,  but  because  he  abused  them.  Many  of  the  saints  had  great 
possessions,  but  used  them  for  good  ends.  Lazarus  was  rewarded 
not  because  he  was  poor  and  in  suffering,  but  because  of  his  poverty 
of  spirit,  his  patience  and  resignation  —  all  of  which  were  the  re- 
sult of  his  faith. 

26.  There  is  fixed  a  great  chaos;  i.e.,  a  great  gulf,  a  chasm, 
which  no  one  can  bridge,  and  this  "  fixed,"  unchangeable. 

2y.  That  thou  wouldst  send  him,  etc.  These  words  seem  to  indi- 
cate that  Dives  and  his  brothers  were  Sadducees  at  heart,  who  did 
not  believe  in  the  spirit  world,  and  who,  perhaps,  as  St.  Augustine 
says,  had  often  during  life  mocked  togetlier  at  that  unseen  world. 


36o  ST.  LUKE  XVI,  28-31;  XVII,  1-5 

28.  That  he  may  testify  unto  them,  lest  they  also  come  into  this  r  ice  of 
torments. 

29.  And  Abraham  said  to  him :  They  have  Moses  and  the  prophets;  it  t  them 
hear  them. 

30.  But  he  said:  Xo,  father  Abraham:  but  if  one  went  to  them  from  the 
dead,  they  will  do  penance. 

31.  And  he  said  to  him:  If  they  hear  not  Moses  and  the  prophets,  neither 
will  they  believe,  if  one  rise  again  from  the  dead. 

28.  Testify;  i.e.,  admonish. 

29.  They  have  Moses  and  the  prophets;  i.e.,  they  have  God's 
inspired  word  in  the  Old  Testament,  which  teaches  everything 
sufficient  for  salvation. 

30.  If  they  hear  not  Moses,  etc. ;  i.e.,  if  they  would  not  believe 
the  word  of  God  as  revealed  through  Moses  and  the  prophets, 
neither  would  they  believe  anyone  who  would  come  back  from  the 
dead,  or  as  Abraham  put  it,  prophetically  foreseeing  the  Resur- 
rection of  Christ,  "  if  one  rise  again  from  the  dead."  A  similar 
answer  might  be  given  to  the  unbelievers  of  to-day.  They  have  the 
revelations  of  the  New  Testament  and  the  infallible  teaching  of 
Christ's  Church :  if  they  do  not  believe  these,  neither  would  they 
believe  anyone  coming  back  from  the  spirit  world. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

Scandal,     Fraternal    Correction,     Faith,    Our 

Duty,  i-io. 
The  Ten  Lepers,  11-19. 
The  Kingdom  of  God,  and  the  Return  dp  the  Son 

OF  Man,  20-37. 

1.  And  he  said  to  his  disciples:  It  is  impossible  that  scandals  should  not 
come ;  but  woe  to  him  through  whom  they  come. 

2.  It  were  better  for  him,  that  a  millstone  were  hanged  about  his  neck,  and 
he  cast  into  the  sea,  than  that  he  should  scandalize  one  of  these  little  ones. 

3.  Take  heed  to  yourselves.     If  thy  brother  sin  against  thee,  reprove  him: 
and  if  he  do  penance,  forgive  him. 

4.  And  if  he  sin  against  thee  seven  times  in  a  day,  and  seven  times  in  a  day 
be  converted  unto  thee,  saying,  I  repent ;  forgive  him. 

5.  And  the  apostles  said  to  the  Lord :  Increase  our  faith. 

I,  2.    See  on  Matthew  xviii.  6-8. 
3,  4.    See  on  Matthew  xviii.  21,  22. 


ST.  LUKE  XVII,  6-10  361 

6.  And  the  Lord  said :  If  you  had  faith  like  to  a  grain  of  mustard  seed,  you 
might  say  to  this  mulberry  tree,  Be  thou  rooted  up,  and  be  thou  transplanted 
into  the  sea :  and  it  would  obey  you. 

7.  But  which  of  you  having  a  servant  ploughing,  or  feeding  cattle,  will 
say  to  him,  when  he  is  come  from  the  field:  Immediately  go,  sit  down  to 
meat : 

8.  And  will  not  rather  say  to  him :  Make  ready  my  supper,  and  gird  thy- 
self, and  serve  me,  whilst  I  eat  and  drink,  and  afterwards  thou  shalt  eat  and 
drink? 

Q.  Doth  he  thank  that  servant,  for  doing  the  things  which  he  commanded 
him  ? 

10.  I  think  not.  So  you  also,  when  you  shall  have  done  all  these  things  that 
are  commanded  you,  say :  We  are  unprofitable  servants ;  we  have  done  that 
which  we  ought  to  do. 


6.  See  on  Matthew  xvii.  19.  Our  Lord  speaks  here  of  the 
'*  mulberry  tree  "  which  was  perhaps  nearby,  as  was  doubtless  also 
the  mountain  of  which  He  spoke  in  St.  Matthew. 

7-10.  Commentators  have  always  found  it  difficult  to  see  a  con- 
nection between  these  verses  and  their  immediate  context.  Some 
have  denied  all  connection  ;  others  have  traced  a  connection,  but 
in  different  ways.  There  seems  however  to  be  a  real  connection 
when  we  reflect  that  our  Lord  had  just  been  exhorting  His  dis- 
ciples to  special  virtues  and  declaring-  to  them  the  mighty  works 
which  a  lively  faith  would  enable  them  to  perform :  and  then,  lest 
a  knowledge  of  these  gifts  should  tempt  them  to  pride  and  vain 
self-complacency,  He  gives  them  a  parable  to  teach  them  humility. 
He  wishes  them,  and  all  of  us,  ever  to  bear  in  mind  that  we  are  but 
servants,  and  that  when  we  labor  for  Him  or  keep  His  command- 
ments we  are  doing  only  what  we  ought  to  do. 

We  are  unprofitable  servants.  It  by  no  means  follows  from 
these  words  of  our  Lord  that  our  good  works  are  not  meritorious, 
or  that  we  shall  not  be  rewarded  for  virtuous  living.  Hence  He  did 
not  say,  you  are  "  unprofitable  servants  '" ;  but  "  say  you :  we  are 
unprofitable  servants."  He  is  inculcating  humility,  and  he  wishes 
His  disciples  and  all  His  followers  to  recognize  at  all  times  that 
He  by  His  grace,  and  not  we  ourselves,  is  the  cause  and  source 
of  all  the  good  we  do.  We  are  unprofitable  servants  in  the  sense 
that  of  ourselves  we  can  do  nothing  worthy  of  eternal  life,  and 
that  when  assisted  by  His  grace,  we  owe  all  to  Him  and  are  doing 
ojily  what  we  ought  to  do.     In  strict  justice  Almighty  God  is  not 


362  ST.  LUKE  XVII,  11-18 

11.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  he  was  going  to  Jerusalem,  he  passed  through 
the  midst  of  Samaria  and  Galilee. 

12.  And  as  he  entered  into  a  certain  town,  there  met  him  ten  men  that  were 
lepers,  who  stood  afar  off; 

13.  And  lifted  up  their  voice,  saying:  Jesus,  master,  have  mercy  on  us. 

14.  Whom  when  he  saw,  he  said:  Go,  shew  yourselves  to  the  priests.    And 
it  came  to  pass,  as  they  went,  they  were  made  clean. 

15.  And  one  of  them,  when  he  saw  that  he  was  made  clean,  went  back,  with 
a  loud  voice  glorifying  God. 

16.  And  he  fell  on  his  face  before  his  feet,  giving  thanks :  and  this  was  a 
Samaritan. 

17.  And  Jesus  answering,  said,  Were  not  ten  made  clean?  and  where  are 
the  nine? 

18.  There  is  no  one  found  to  return  and  give  glory  to  God,  but  this  stranger. 


bound  to  give  us  any  reward ;  but  according  to  the  riches  of  His 
grace,  He  zuill  reward  us. 

11.  As  he  was  going  to  Jerusalem,  etc.  This  was  our  Lord's 
final  departure  from  Galilee,  and  He  was  passing  through  the 
country  lying  between,  or  on  the  borders  of,  Samaria  and  Galilee 
(5ia  fieaov).     See  on  Matthew  xix.  i. 

12.  A  certain  town,  which  was  on  the  confines  of  the  two  prov- 
inces of  Samaria  and  Galilee. 

Who  stood  afar  ofT.  The  lepers  did  not  draw  near  to  our  Lord, 
because  their  loathsome  disease  according  to  the  Law  of  Moses 
excluded  them  from  the  society  of  others.     See  on  v.  12-14. 

13.  Jesus,  master:  The  term  "master"  (eTrto-rdTa)  is  peculiar 
to  St.  Luke  and  means  not  a  mere  teacher,  but  one  who  taught 
with  special  authority. 

14.  Go  shew  yourself  to  the  priests.  This  our  Lord  bade  the 
lepers  do  to  test  their  faith  and  obedience,  in  virtue  of  which  they 
were  healed  as  they  went.  The  priests  had  no  power  to  heal  the 
lepers;  all  they  could  do  was  to  give  them  a  certificate  testifying 
to  their  cure  and  admitting  them  again  to  society.  Cf.  on  Matthew 
viii.  4-6;  Luke  v.  12. 

15.  And  one  of  them  when  he  saw,  etc.  As  the  lepers  were 
cured  on  their  way  to  the  priests,  it  may  be  concluded  that  this  one 
turned  immediately  back  to  render  thanks  for  his  cure.  It  is  likely 
that  this  leper  was  not  only  cleansed  in  body,  but  in  soul  also 
(verse  19). 

16-18.  And  this  was  a  Samaritan.    St.  Luke  calls  attention  to 


ST.  LUKE  XVII,  19-24  363 

19.  And  he  said  to  him :  Arise,  go  thy  way ;  for  thy  faith  hath  made  thee 
whole. 

20.  And  being  asked  by  the  Pharisees,  when  the  kingdom  of  God  should 
come?  he  answered  them,  and  said:  The  kingdom  of  God  cometh  not  with 
observation  ; 

21.  Neither  shall  they  say:  Behold  here,  or  behold  there.  For  lo,  the  king- 
dom of  God  is  within  you. 

22.  And  he  said  to  his  disciples :  The  days  will  come,  when  you  shall  desire 
to  see  one  day  of  the  Son  of  man ;  and  you  shall  not  see  it. 

23.  And  they  will  say  to  you :  See  here,  and  see  there.  Go  ye  not  after, 
nor  follow  them : 

24.  For  as  the  lightning  that  lighteneth  from  under  heaven,  shineth  unto 
the  parts  that  are  under  heaven,  so  shall  the  Son  of  man  be  in  his  day. 

this  to  show  that  "  this  stranger,"  who  was  aHen  to  the  Jews  both 
by  race  and  reHgion,  had  more  gratitude  than  they  who,  as  the 
chosen  people,  had  been  the  objects  of  God's  continual  and  special 
Providence. 

19.  For  thy  faith  hath  made  thee  whole.  These  words  seem  to 
indicate  that  the  Samaritan  had  been  liberated  from  the  leprosy  of 
sin,  as  well  as  from  his  physical  malady. 

20.  The  kingdom  of  God  cometh  not  with  observation.  The 
Pharisees  had  just  asked  our  Lord  when  the  temporal  reign  of  the 
Messiah,  the  Kingdom  of  God,  was  to  begin ;  and  He  replied  that 
the  Kingdom  of  God  would  not  come  with  wealth  and  pomp  and 
splendor,  like  earthly  kingdoms.  The  Kingdom  of  God  was  to  be 
spiritual ;  their  ideas  of  it  were  carnal. 

21.  The  kingdom  of  God  is  within  you.  "  Within  you  "  means 
"in  your  midst"  {kpros  Vfiuv).  We  must  bear  in  mind  that  our 
Lord  was  replying  to  the  Pharisees,  and  He  told  them  that  the 
Kingdom  of  God  was  already  in  their  midst.  It  was  this  Kingdom 
that  He  was  preaching,  that  He  was  inaugurating,  and  they  did 
not  recognize  it.  It  seems  altogether  wrong  to  say  that  "  within 
you  "  means  "  in  your  hearts,"  for  the  Kingdom  of  God  was  cer- 
tainly not  in  the  hearts  of  the  Pharisees,  to  whose  question  our 
Lord  was  replying. 

22-24.  See  on  Matthew  xxiv.  23-27.  Here  our  Lord  is  speak- 
ing of  the  time  between  His  Ascension  and  His  second  coming, 
and  foreseeing  most  likely  that  many  of  His  followers  would  grow 
weary  of  waiting  for  Him,  He  warns  them  not  to  be  deceived  by 
false  reports  or  false  prophets. 


364  ST.  LUKE  XVII,  25-36 

25.  But  first  he  must  suffer  many  things,  and  be  rejected  by  this 
generation, 

26.  And  as  it  came  to  pass  in  the  days  of  Noe,  so  shall  it  be  also  in  the  days 
of  the  Son  of  man. 

27.  They  did  eat  and  drink,  they  married  wives,  and  were  given  in  mar- 
riage, until  the  day  that  Noe  entered  into  the  ark :  and  the  flood  came  and 
destroyed  them  all. 

28.  Likewise  as  it  came  to  pass,  in  the  days  of  Lot :  they  did  eat  and  drink, 
they  bought  and  sold,  they  planted  and  built. 

29.  And  in  the  day  that  Lot  went  out  of  Sodom,  it  rained  fire  and  brim- 
stone from  heaven,  and  destroyed  them  all. 

30.  Even  thus  shall  it  be  in  the  day  when  the  Son  of  man  shall  be 
revealed. 

31.  In  that  hour,  he  that  shall  be  on  the  housetop,  and  his  goods  in  the 
house,  let  him  not  go  down  to  take  them  away :  and  he  that  shall  be  in  the 
field,  in  like  manner,  let  him  not  return  back. 

32.  Remember  Lot's  wife. 

33.  Whosoever  shall  seek  to  save  his  life,  shall  lose  it:  and  whosoever  shall 
lose  it,  shall  preserve  it. 

34.  I  say  to  you :  in  that  night  there  shall  be  two  men  in  one  bed ;  the  one 
shall  be  taken,  ancf  the  other  shall  be  left. 

35.  Two  women  shall  be  grinding  together :  the  one  shall  be  taken,  and  the 
other  shall  be  left:  two  men  shall  be  in  the  field;  the  one  shall  be  taken,  and 
the  other  shall  be  left. 

36.  They  answering,  say  to  him:  Where,  Lord? 

25.  Here  our  Lord  again  predicts  His  Passion,  as  He  had  done 
several  times  before  (ix.  22;  xii.  49;  xiii.  33). 

26,  2y.    See  on  Matthew  xxiv.  37-39. 

28-30.  In  these  verses  our  Lord  is  giving  another  illustration 
of  the  unexpected  manner  which  will  characterize  His  second  com- 
ing.   Cf.  Gen.  xix.  25. 

31.  See  on  Matthew  xxiv.  16-18. 

32.  Lot's  wife  had  been  commanded  by  the  angel  not  to  look 
back  at  Sodom  after  leaving  it ;  but  her  inordinate  attachment  to 
persons  and  things  there  led  her  to  disobey,  and  she  was  turned 
into  a  pillar  of  salt.  Cf.  Gen.  xix.  26.  Our  Lord  is  now  warning 
the  disciples  to  disengage  themselves  from  all  inordinate  attach- 
ment to  the  world  and  worldly  things. 

33.  See  on  Matthew  x.  39;  xvi.  25. 

34.  35.    See  on  Matthew  xxiv.  40,  41. 

36.  Where,  Lord?  Having  heard  our  Lord  speak  of  the  separa- 
tion of  the  good  and  the  bad,  of  one  being  taken  and  another  left, 
the  disciples  asked  where  this  should  take  place. 


ST.  LUKE  XVII,  37;  XVIII,  1,  2  365 

37.  Who  said  to  them:  Wheresoever  the  body  shall  be,  thither  will  the 
eagles  also  be  gathered  together. 

37.  Thither  will  the  eagles,  etc.  Vultures  are  called  eagles  in 
Scripture.  As  vultures  in  great  multitudes  quickly  gather  to  devour 
the  body  of  an  animal  that  has  died  in  the  desert,  so  at  the  end 
of  the  world  will  the  angels  swiftly  come  to  gather  God's  Elect 
from  the  four  winds.  The  angels  come  to  save,  the  vultures  to 
destroy,  but  this  is  not  the  likeness  of  the  illustration ;  the  likeness 
of  the  comparison  is  in  the  swiftness  with  which  the  coming  is 
made. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

The  Parable  of  the  Unjust  Judge,  1-8. 
The  Pharisee  and  the  Publican,  9-17. 
Lessons  on  Poverty,  18-30. 
Jesus  Foretells  His  Passion,  31-34. 
The  Blind  Man  of  Jericho,  35-43. 

1.  And  he  spoke  also  a  parable  to  them,  that  we  ought  always  to  pray,  and 
not  to  faint, 

2.  Saying:  There  was  a  judge  in  a  certain  city,  who  feared  not  God,  nor 
regarded  man. 

I.  That  we  ought  always  to  pray,  etc.  Our  Lord  had  been  tell- 
ing the  disciples  of  the  temptations  and  trials  which  would  usher 
in  the  last  days  before  His  second  coming,  and  He  wished  to  cau- 
tion them  that  they  should  not  grow  weary,  but  be  ever  instant  in 
prayer.  But  how  are  we  always  to  pray?  By  a  habitual  love  of 
God  and  hatred  for  sin.  and  by  habitually  living  in  His  presence 
and  performing  our  actions  for  His  sake.  St.  Augustine  explains 
it  thus :  "  Can  we  indeed  without  ceasing  bend  the  knee,  bow  the 
body  or  lift  up  the  hands,  that  we  should  say  '  Pray  without  ceas- 
mg'?  There  is  another  interior  prayer  without  intermission,  and 
that  is  the  longing  of  thy  heart.  ...  If  thou  wishest  not  to  in- 
termit to  pray,  see  that  thou  do  not  intermit  to  desire ;  thv  continual 
desire  is  thy  continual  voice"  {In  Ps.  xxxvii.  10). 


366  ST.  LUKE  XVIII,  3-10 

3.  And  there  was  a  certain  widow  in  that  city,  and  she  came  to  him,  saying : 
Avenge  me  of  my  adversary. 

4.  And  he  would  not  for  a  long  time.  But  afterwards  he  said  within  him- 
self :  Although  I  fear  not  God,  nor  regard  man, 

5.  Yet  because  this  widow  is  troublesome  to  me,  I  will  avenge  her,  lest  con- 
tinually coming  she  weary  me. 

6.  And  the  Lord  said:  Hear  what  the  unjust  judge  saith. 

7.  And  will  not  God  revenge  his  elect  who  cry  to  him  day  and  night :  and 
will  he  have  patience  in  their  regard? 

8.  I  say  to  you,  that  he  will  quickly  revenge  them.  But  yet  the  Son  of  man, 
when  he  cometh,  shall  he  find,  think  you,  faith  on  earth? 

9.  And  to  some  who  trusted  in  themselves  as  just,  and  despised  others,  he 
spoke  also  this  parable  : 

ID.  Two  men  went  up  into  the  temple  to  pray :  the  one  a  Pharisee,  and  the 
other  a  publican. 

3.  A  certain  widow.  The  destitution  of  the  state  of  widowhood 
in  the  East  was  extreme.  So  helpless  were  widows  that  they  had 
a  kind  of  claim  for  protection  from  the  Law  (Deut.  xiv.  29;  xvi. 
II  ;  Acts  vi.  I,  etc.). 

Avenge  me  of  my  adversary,  —  literally,  *'  do  me  right  on  my 
adversary;  give  me  justice  on  my  oppressor"  (e/cSt/crjcroi') . 

5.  Lest  continually  coming  she  weary  me,  —  literally,  "  lest  in 
the  end  she  bruise  me  in  the  face  "  (uTrwiridf 2/) •  Although  the  judge 
was  hard  and  unjust,  he  was  willing  to  grant  the  request  of  the 
widow  because  of  her  perseverance. 

6-8.  In  these  verses  our  Lord  says  that  if  the  unjust  judge 
finally  heard  the  request  of  the  helpless  widow,  how  much  more 
will  God,  who  is  justice  and  goodness  itself,  hear  the  prayers  of 
His  Elect! 

But  yet  the  Son  of  man  when  he  cometh,  shall  he  find,  think 
you,  faith  on  earth?  i.e.,  will  there  be  at  the  end  of  the  world,  just 
before  the  second  coming  of  Christ,  that  lively  faith  which  is  trust- 
ful in  the  midst  of  difficulties,  which  inspires  one  to  hope  against 
hope? 

9.  And  to  some  who  trusted  in  themselves,  etc.  Having  just 
exhorted  His  disciples  to  perseverance  in  prayer,  our  Lord  now, 
by  addressing  some  of  the  Pharisees  who  were  present,  teaches  His 
disciples  by  a  parable  the  kind  of  prayer  they  ought  to  practice; 
namely,  humble,  penitent  prayer. 

10.  Went  up  into  the  temple.  The  two  men  are  said  to  have 
gone  "  up,"  because  the  Temple  was  on  Mt.  Moriah. 


ST.  LUKE  XVIII,  11-16  367 

11.  The  Pharisee  standing,  prayed  thus  with  himself:  O  God,  I  give  thee 
thanks  that  I  am  not  as  the  rest  of  men,  extortioners,  unjust,  adulterers,  as 
also  is  this  publican. 

12.  1  fast  twice  in  a  week :  I  give  tithes  of  all  that  I  possess. 

13.  And  the  publican,  standing  afar  ofif,  would  not  so  much  as  lift  up  his 
eyes  towards  heaven ;  but  struck  his  breast,  saying :  O  God,  be  merciful  to  me 
a  sinner. 

14.  I  say  to  you,  this  man  went  down  into  his  house  justified  rather  than  the 
other :  because  every  one  that  exalteth  himself,  shall  be  humbled :  and  he  that 
humbleth  himself,  shall  be  exalted. 

15.  And  they  brought  unto  him  also  infants,  that  he  might  touch  them. 
Which  when  the  disciples  saw,  they  rebuked  them. 

16.  But  Jesus,  calling  them  together,  said :  Suffer  children  to  come  to  me, 
and  forbid  them  not:  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  God. 

A  Pharisee.  See  on  Matthew  iii.  7.  A  publican.  See  on 
Matthew  v.  46. 

11.  The  Pharisee  standing  prayed  thus,  etc.  According  to  the 
sentiment  that  animated  them  the  Jews  prayed  sometimes  standing, 
sometimes  on  their  knees  (3  Kings  viii.  22;  2  Paral.  vi.  12;  Dan. 
vi.  10;  2  Paral.  vi.  13).  Catholics  for  the  most  part  pray  kneeling 
in  accordance  with  the  perpetual  tradition  of  the  Church.  The 
Pharisee  is  said  to  have  prayed  "  with  himself,"  because  his  prayer 
proceeded  from  himself  and  not  from  the  grace  of  God,  because 
it  was  an  act  of  self-praise  and  had  not  God's  approval. 

O  God,  I  give  thee  thanks,  etc.  The  Pharisee  thanked  God  in 
words,  but  in  his  heart  he  meant  to  praise  himself ;  in  fact  he  used 
this  form  of  address  only  to  ventilate  his  own  superiority. 

12.  I  give  tithes.    See  on  Matthew  xxiii.  23. 

13.  And  the  publican  standing  afar  off,  etc.  He  was  perhaps 
standing  in  the  Court  of  the  People.  It  was  against  the  Law  for 
publicans  to  enter  the  Temple,  unless  they  were  pagans,  and  then 
their  place  was  in  the  Court  of  the  Gentiles.  This  publican  seems 
to  have  been  a  Jew. 

To  me  a  sinner,  —  literally,  "  to  me  the  sinner,"  as  if  the  pub- 
lican regarded  himself  as  the  greatest  of  all  sinners. 

14.  This  man  v^rent  down  into  his  house  justified  rather  than 
the  other.  This  does  not  mean  that  the  justification  of  the  publican 
was  relative,  as  compared  with  that  erf  the  Pharisee;  his  justifica- 
tion was  absolute,  as  is  clear  from  the  context. 

15.  16.    See  on  Matthew  xix.  13,  14. 


368  ST.  LUKE  XVIII,  17-35 

17.  Amen,  I  say  to  you:  Whosoever  shall  not  receive  the  kingdom  of  God 
as  a  child,  shall  not  enter  into  it. 

18.  And  a  certain  ruler  asked  him,  saying:  Good  master,  what  shall  I  do  to 
possess  everlasting  life? 

19.  And  Jesus  said  to  him  :  Why  dost  thou  call  me  good?  None  is  good  but 
God  alone. 

20.  Thou  knowest  the  commandments :  Thou  shalt  not  kill :  Thou  shalt  not 
commit  adultery :  Thou  shalt  not  steal :  Thou  shalt  not  bear  false  witness : 
Honour  thy  father  and  mother. 

21.  Who  said :  All  these  things  have  I  kept  from  my  youth. 

22.  Which  when  Jesus  had  heard,  he  said  to  him :  Yet  one  thing  is  wanting 
to  thee:  sell  all  whatever  thou  hast,  and  give  to  the  poor,  and  thou  shalt  have 
treasure  in  heaven  :  and  come,  follow  me. 

23.  He  having  heard  these  things,  became  sorrowful;  for  he  was  very 
rich. 

24.  And  Jesus  seeing  him  become  sorrowful,  said:  How  hardly  shall  they 
that  have  riches  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 

25.  For  it  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  pass  through  the  eye  of  a  needle,  than  for 
a  rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 

26.  And  they  that  heard  it,  said :  Who  then  can  be  saved? 

27.  He  said  to  them :  The  things  that  are  impossible  with  men,  are  possible 
with  God. 

28.  Then  Peter  said :  Behold,  we  have  left  all  things,  and  have  followed 
thee. 

29.  Who  said  to  them:  Amen,  I  say  to  you,  there  is  no  man  that  hath  left 
house,  or  parents,  or  brethren,  or  wife,  or  children,  for  the  kingdom  of  God's 
.sake, 

30.  Who  shall  not  receive  much  more  in  this  present  time,  and  in  the  world 
to  come  life  everlasting. 

31.  Then  Jesus  took  unto  him  the  twelve,  and  said  to  them  :  Behold,  we  go 
up  to  Jerusalem,  and  all  things  shall  be  accomplished  which  were  written  by 
the  prophets  concerning  the  Son  of  man. 

32.  For  he  shall  be  delivered  to  the  Gentiles,  and  shall  be  mocked,  and 
scourged,  and  spit  upon  : 

33.  And  after  they  have  scourged  him,  they  will  put  him  to  death ;  and  the 
third  day  he  shall  rise  again. 

34.  And  they  understood  none  of  these  things,  and  this  word  was  hid  from 
them,  and  they  understood  not  the  things  that  were  said. 

35.  Now  it  came  to  pass,  when  he  drew  nigh  to  Jericho,  that  a  certain  blind 
man  sat  by  the  way  side,  begging. 


17.    See  on  Matthew  xviii.  3. 
18-20.    See  on  Matthew  xix.  16-19. 
22,  23.    See  on  Matthew  xix.  21,  22. 
24-30.    See  on  Matthew  xix.  23-29. 
31-34.    See  on  Matthew  xx.  17-19. 
35.    See  on  Matthew  xx.  29,  30. 


ST.  LUKE  XVIII,  36-43;  XIX,   1-4  369 

36.  And  when  he  heard  the  multitude  passing  by,  he  asked  what  this  meant. 

37.  And  they  told  him,  that  Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  passing  by. 

38.  And  he  cried  out,  saying :  Jesus,  son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  me. 

39.  And  they  that  went  before,  rebuked  him,  that  he  should  hold  his  peace : 
but  he  cried  out  much  more  :  Son  of  David,  have  mercy  on  me. 

40.  And  Jesus  standing,  commanded  him  to  be  brought  unto  him.  And 
when  he  wa-s  come  near,  he  asked  him, 

41.  Saying:  What  wilt  thou  that  I  do  to  thee?  But  he  said:  Lord,  that  I 
may  see. 

42.  And  Jesus  said  to  him  :  Receive  thy  sight :  thy  faith  hath  made  thee 
whole. 

43.  And  immediately  he  saw,  and  followed  him,  glorifying  God.  And  all 
the  people,  when  they  saw  it,  gave  praise  to  God. 

36-43.  In  these  verses  we  have  an  illustration  of  what  our  Lord 
was  trying  to  teach  the  disciples  in  the  first  verses  of  the  present 
chapter.  It  was  the  constant  faith  of  the  blind  man  that  moved 
our  Lord  to  restore  his  sight. 


CHAPTER  XIX 

Zacheus  the  Publican,  i-io. 

The  Parable  of  the  Pounds,  11-27. 

The  Triumphal  Entry  of  Jesus  into  Jerusalem, 

28-44. 
The  Profaners  of  the  Temple,  45-48. 

1.  And  entering  in,  he  walked  through  Jericho. 

2.  And  behold,  there  was  a  man  named  Zacheus,  who  was  the  chief  of  the 
publicans,  and  he  was  rich. 

3.  And  he  sought  to  see  Jesus  who  he  was,  and  he  could  not  for  the  crowd, 
because  he  was  low  of  stature. 

4.  .\nd  running  before,  he  climbed  up  into  a  sycamore  tree,  that  he  might 
see  him ;  for  he  was  to  pass  that  way. 

1.  Jericho.    See   on   Matthew   xx.   29. 

2.  Zacheus  .  .  .  chief  of  the  publicans.  Zacheus  was  not  one 
of  the  actual  tax-collectors,  but  a  superintendent  (dpxt^eXwi^s) 
placed  over  the  collectors. 

4.  A  sycamore  tree.  The  sycamore  was  a  species  of  fig-tree, 
called  the  "  Egyptian  fig-tree " ;  its  leaves  were  like  those  of  a 
mulberry ;  its  size  and  shape  like  a  fig-tree. 


370  ST.  LUKE  XIX,  5-12 

5.  And  when  Jesus  was  come  to  the  place,  looking  up,  he  saw  him,  and  said 
to  him :  Zacheus,  make  haste  and  come  down ;  for  this  day  I  must  abide  in  thy 
house. 

6.  And  he  made  haste  and  came  down ;  and  received  him  with  joy. 

7.  And  when  all  saw  it,  they  murmured,  saying,  that  he  was  gone  to  be  a 
guest  with  a  man  that  was  a  sinner. 

8.  But  Zacheus  standing,  said  to  the  Lord :  Behold,  Lord,  the  half  of  my 
goods  I  give  to  the  poor;  and  if  I  have  wronged  any  man  of  any  thing,  I  re- 
store him  fourfold. 

9.  Jesus  said  to  him :  This  day  is  salvation  come  to  this  house,  because  he 
also  is  a  son  of  Abraham. 

ID.  For  the  Son  of  man  is  come  to  seek  and  to  save  that  which  was  lost. 

11.  As  they  were  hearing  these  things,  he  added  and  spoke  a  parable,  be- 
cause he  was  nigh  to  Jerusalem,  and  because  they  thought  that  the  kingdom  of 
God  should  immediately  be  manifested. 

12.  He  said  therefore :  A  certain  nobleman  went  into  a  far  country,  to  re- 
ceive for  himself  a  kingdom,  and  to  return. 

5.  Jesus  .  .  .  said  to  him:  Zacheus,  make  haste,  etc.  Al- 
though our  Lord  had  never  seen  Zacheus  before,  He  calls  him 
by  his  name. 

7.  They  murmured.  The  Pharisees  complained  at  our  Lord's 
friendship  with  Zacheus,  because  the  latter,  -on  account  of  his  in- 
famous profession,  was  regarded  as  a  great  sinner. 

8.  But  Zacheus  standing  said  to  the  Lord.  Zacheus  had 
overheard  the  murmurings  of  the  Pharisees,  and  now  to  prove  in 
public  the  genuineness  of  his  repentance  and  conversion  he  says 
that  he  is  willing,  if  he  has  wronged  any  man,  to  restore  fourfold. 
This  was  much  more  than  the  Law  required,  for  the  Law  (Num. 
v.  7)  said  that  if  anyone  had  defrauded  another,  he  should  restore 
the  principal  itself  and  a  fifth  part  over  and  above ;  Zacheus  is 
ready  to  do  much  more. 

9.  Because  he  also  is  a  son  of  Abraham.  There  were  two 
reasons  why  Zacheus  merited  forgiveness  and  approval  by  our 
Lord:  (a)  because  he  was  a  son  of  Abraham;  (b)  because  he  was 
one  of  the  lost  sheep  of  the  House  of  Israel.  As  said  on  Matt.  xv. 
24,  our  Lord's  mission  during  His  time  on  earth  was  chiefly  to  the 
Jewish  people,  to  reclaim  the  "  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of  Israel " ; 
but  after  His  Ascension  this  mission  of  redemption  was  extended 
through  the  Apostles  to  all  the  world. 

II,  12.  See  on  Matthew  xxv.  14.  The  certain  nobleman  re- 
fers  to  our   Lord ;   the  far   country   to  the   Kingdom   of   Heaven 


ST.  LUKE  XIX,  13-20  371 

13.  And  calling  his  ten  servants,  he  gave  them  ten  pounds,  and  said  to  them  : 
Trade  till  I  come. 

14.  But  his  citizens  hated  him :  and  they  sent  an  embassage  after  him,  say- 
ing: We  will  not  have  this  man  to  reign  over  us. 

15-  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  he  returned,  having  received  the  kingdom: 
and  he  commanded  his  servants  to  be  called,  to  whom  he  had  given  the  money, 
that  he  might  know  how  much  every  man  had  gained  by  trading. 

16.  And  the  first  came,  saying :  Lord,  thy  pound  hath  gained  ten  pounds. 

17-  And  he  said  to  him :  Well  done,  thou  good  servant,  because  thou  hast 
been  faithful  in  a  little,  thou  shalt  have  power  over  ten  cities. 

18.  And  the  second  came,  saying :  Lord,  thy  pound  hath  gained  five  pounds. 

19.  And  he  said  to  him :  Be  thou  also  over  five  cities. 

20.  And  another  came,  saying :  Lord,  behold  here  is  thy  pound,  which  I  have 
kept  laid  up  in  a  napkin ; 

to  which  our  Lord   was   soon   to  ascend;  and  the  return   repre- 
sents the  second  coming  of  Christ. 

13.  He  gave  them  ten  pounds.  A  pound,  or  mna,  was  worth 
about  100  denarii,  or  about  $17.00  in  our  money.  In  their  appli- 
cation the  pounds  represent  the  various  talents  and  gifts  with 
which  Almighty  God  has  endowed  each  one  of  us,  and  which  we 
are  supposed  to  use  for  His  glory  and  our  own  salvation. 

14.  But  his  citizens  hated  him,  etc.  It  was  not  infrequent  for 
the  Jews,  who  hated  their  Roman  rulers,  to  appeal  to  Rome  to  have 
them  removed.  The  words  of  the  text  here  have  reference  to  this 
custom;  but  in  their  application  they  refer  to  the  Jewish  people 
who  as  a  body  hated  and  rejected  our  Lord. 

15.  It  came  to  pass  that  he  returned,  etc.  These  words  refer 
to  the  second  coming  of  Christ  and  the  General  Judgment,  when 
each  one  shall  be  rewarded  or  punished  according  to  his  works. 

17.  Well  done  thou  good  servant  .  .  .  thou  shalt  have  power 
over  ten  cities.  It  was  customary  in  the  East  for  kings  to  reward 
the  faithfulness  of  their  servants  by  making  them  rulers  over  dis- 
tricts or  provinces.  Thus,  also,  hereafter  Christ  will  reward  the 
faithful  servants  by  placing  them,  as  it  were,  on  thrones,  i.e.,  by 
rewarding  them  according  to  their  merits. 

19.  Be  thou  also  over  five  cities.  The  reward  in  the  second 
case  is  as  absolute  as  in  the  first,  although  less  in  degree,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  few  talents  employed.  This  shows  the  differences 
in  the  reward  of  the  Elect,  which  shall  be  proportioned  to  each 
one's  merits. 


372  ST.  LUKE  XIX,  21-39 

21.  For  I  feared  thee,  because  thou  art  an  austere  man  :  thou  takesl  up  wliat 
thou  didst  not  lay  down,  and  thou  reapest  that  which  thou  didst  not  sow. 

22.  He  saith  to  him ;  Out  of  thy  own  mouth  I  judge  thee,  thou  wicked  serv- 
ant. Thou  knewest  that  I  was  an  austere  man,  taking  up  what  I  laid  not  down, 
and  reaping  that  which  I  did  not  sow : 

23.  And  why  then  didst  thou  not  give  my  money  into  the  bank,  that  at  my 
coming,  I  might  have  exacted  it  with  usury? 

24.  And  he  said  to  them  that  stood  by  :  Take  the  pound  away  from  him, 
and  give  it  to  him  that  hath  ten  pounds. 

25.  And  they  said  to  him :  Lord,  he  hath  ten  pounds. 

26.  But  I  say  to.  you,  that  to  every  one  that  hath  shall  be  given,  and  he  shall 
abound :  and  from  him  that  hath  not,  even  that  which  he  hath,  shall  be  taken 
from  him. 

2J.  But  as  for  those  my  enemies,  who  would  not  have  me  reign  over  them, 
bring  them  hither,  and  kill  them  before  me. 

28.  And  having  said  these  things,  he  went  before,  going  up  to  Jerusalem. 

29.  And  it  came  to  pass,  when  he  was  come  nigh  to  Bethphage  and  Be- 
thania,  unto  the  mount  called  Olivet,  he  sent  two  of  his  disciples, 

30.  Saying:  Go  into  the  town  which  is  over  against  you,  at  your  entering 
into  which  you  shall  find  the  colt  of  an  ass  tied,  on  which  no  man  ever  hath 
sitten  :  loose  him,  and  bring  him  hither. 

31.  And  if  any  man  shall  ask  you:  Why  do  you  loose  him?  you  shall  say 
thus  unto  him :  Because  the  Lord  hath  need  of  his  service. 

32.  And  they  that  were  sent,  went  their  way,  and  found  the  colt  standing, 
as  he  had  said  unto  them. 

33.  And  as  they  were  loosing  the  colt,  the  owners  thereof  said  to  them  : 
Why  loose  you  the  colt  ? 

34.  But  they  said :  Because  the  Lord  hath  need  of  him. 

35.  And  they  brought  him  to  Jesus.  And  casting  their  garments  on  the  colt, 
they  set  Jesus  thereon. 

36.  And  as  he  went,  they  spread  their  clothes  underneath  in  the  way. 

37.  And  when  he  was  now  coming  near  the  descent  of  mount  Olivet,  the 
whole  multitude  of  his  disciples  began  with  joy  to  praise  God  with  a  loud 
voice,  for  all  the  mighty  works  they  had  seen, 

38.  Saying:  Blessed  be  the  king  who  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  peace 
in  heaven,  and  glory  on  high ! 

39.  And  some  of  the  Pharisees,  from  amongst  the  multitude,  said  to  him : 
Master,  rebuke  thy  disciples. 

21.    See  on  Matthew  xxv.  24. 

22-26.    See  on  Matthew  xiii.  12;  xxv.  28,  29. 

2^.  But  as  for  those  my  enemies  .  .  .  kill  them  before  me. 
These  words  refer  both  to  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  and  the 
rejection  and  reprobation  of  the  Jewish  nation.  By  extension,  they 
also  refer  to  the  eternal  reprobation  of  all  those  who  during  this 
life  have  been  enemies  of  God  and  of  His  teaching  through  Christ. 

29-32.    See  on  Matthew  xxi.   1-5.     Luke  here  (verse  29)   and 


ST.  LUKE  XIX,  40-44  373 

40.  To  whom  he  said :  I  say  to  j'ou,  that  if  these  shall  hold  their  peace,  the 
stones  will  cry  out. 

41.  And  when  he  drew  near,  seeing  the  city,  he  wept  over  it,  saying : 

42.  If  thou  also  hadst  known,  and  that  in  this  thy  day,  the  things  that  are 
to  thy  peace;  but  now  they  are  hidden  from  thy  eyes. 

43.  For  the  days  shall  come  upon  thee :  and  thy  enemies  shall  cast  a  trench 
about  thee,  and  compass  thee  round,  and  straiten  thee  on  every  side, 

44.  And  beat  thee  flat  to  the  ground,  and  thy  children  who  are  in  thee :  and 
they  shall  not  leave  in  thee  a  stone  upon  a  stone :  because  thou  hast  not  known 
the  time  of  thy  visitation. 

Mark  (xi,  i)  seem  to  create  a  topographical  difficulty  in  placing 
Bethpage  before  Bethany  on  the  way  to  Jerusalem.  To  solve  this 
difficulty  some  have  said,  in  view  of  St.  John  (xii.  14),  that  our 
Lord  after  leaving  Bethany  could  not  find  an  ass  at  Bethpage,  and 
so  retraced  His  steps  to  Bethany.  But  others,  regarding  the  Greek 
text  of  St.  Mark  xi.  i.  —  "  When  they  were  near  to  Jerusalem,  to 
Bethpage,  to  Bethany,  at  the  Mount  of  Olives,"  say  that  since  the 
end  of  the  journey,  Jerusalem,  is  given  first,  it  must  be  that  the 
Evangelist  in  his  narrative  is  retracing  the  steps  of  the  journey  as 
far  as  Bethany,  the  starting  point  of  the  pilgrimage. 

40,  The  stones  will  cry  out.  The  celebration  of  the  triumphal 
entry  of  our  Lord  into  Jerusalem  had  been  so  infallibly  decreed 
that,  had  the  people  remained  silent,  the  very  stones  would  have 
been  given  the  power  of  speech.  The  expression  of  course  is 
hyperbolical  and  figurative,  but  it  is  intended  to  show  the  infallibil- 
ity of  God's  decrees.    The  allusion  was  probably  to  Habac.  ii.  11. 

41.  He  wept  over  it.  Only  twice  do  we  read  that  our  Lord 
wept,  —  on  this  occasion,  and  over  the  death  of  Lazarus    (John 

xi.  35)- 

42.  If  thou  also  hadst  known  .  .  .  the  things  that  are  to  thy 
peace.  Our  Lord  in  these  words  is  regretting  the  blindness  and 
obduracy  of  the  Jewish  people.  He  is  lamenting  that  they  had  not 
known  the  things  that  could  procure  peace  and  salvation  for  them, 
i.e.,  that  they  should  not  have  received  Him  and  accepted  His  doc- 
trine and  teaching;  but  now  He  says,  because  of  the  hardness  of 
their  hearts,  all  these  precious  blessings  were  hidden  from  them. 

43,  44.  In  these  verses  our  Lord  is  foretelling  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem ;  and  every  word  of  the  prophecy,  as  here  recorded,  was 
literally  fulfilled  by  the  Romans  under  Titus,  a.d.  70-71,  when  not  a 
stone  of  the  city  was  left  upon  a  stone.    Cf.  on  Matthew  xxiv.  i,  2. 


374  ST.  LUKE  XIX,  45-48;  XX,   1-8 

45.  And  entering  into  the  temple,  he  began  to  cast  out  them  that  sold 
therein,  and  them  that  bought. 

46.  Saying  to  them :  It  is  written  :  My  house  is  the  house  of  prayer.  But 
you  have  made  it  a  den  of  thieves. 

47.  And  he  was  teaching  daily  in  the  temple.  And  the  chief  priests  and  the 
scribes  and  the  rulers  of  the  people  sought  to  destroy  him  : 

48.  And  they  found  not  what  to  do  to  him :  for  all  the  people  were  very  at- 
tentive to  hear  him. 

45-48.  See  on  Matthew  xxi.  12.  From  verse  45  here  it  would 
seem  that  the  purification  of  the  Temple  took  place  on  the  very 
day  of  our  Lord's  triumphal  entry  into  the  city.  The  same  would 
appear  from  St.  Matthew  (xxi.  12)  ;  but  we  know  from  St.  Mark 
(xi.  12)  that  the  incidents  here  given  by  St.  Luke  occurred  the 
day  following  the  triumphal  entry.  The  Synoptics  do  not  pretend 
to  a  greater  accuracy  than  that  warranted  by  their  traditional  origin, 
that  is,  than  that  warranted  by  the  oral  Gospel  (Le  Camus). 


CHAPTER  XX 

Members  of  the  Sanhedrim  Inquire  about  our 
Lord's  Authority,  1-8. 

The  Parable  of  the  Vineyard  and  the  Husband- 
men, 9-18. 

The  Tribute  to  Caesar,  19-26. 

The  Sadducees  and  the  Resurrection,  27-40. 

The  Messiah  is  the  Son  and  Lord  of  David,  41-44. 

The  Hypocrisy  of  the  Scribes,  45-47. 

1.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  on  one  of  the  days,  as  he  was  teaching  the 
people  in  the  temple,  and  preaching  the  gospel,  the  chief  priests  and  the  scribes, 
with  the  ancients,  met  together. 

2.  And  spoke  to  him,  saying :  Tell  us,  by  what  authority  dost  thou  these 
things?  or,  Who  is  he  that  hath  given  thee  this  authority? 

3.  And  Jesusanswering,  said  to  them  :  I  will  also  askyou  one  thing.   Answerme  : 

4.  The  baptism  of  John,  was  it  from  heaven,  or  of  men  ? 

5.  But  they  thought  within  themselves,  saying:  If  we  shall  say,  From 
heaven :  he  will  say :  Why  then  did  you  not  believe  him? 

6.  But  if  we  say.  Of  men,  the  whole  people  will  stone  us:  for  they  are  per- 
suaded that  John  was  a  prophet. 

7.  And  they  answered,  that  they  knew  not  whence  it  was. 

8.  And  Jesus  said  to  them :  Neither  do  I  tell  thee  by  what  authority  I  do 
these  things. 

1-8.    See  on  Matthew  xxi.  23-27. 


ST.  LUKE  XX,  9-27  375 

9.  And  he  began  to  speak  to  the  people  this  parable  :  A  certain  man  planted 
a  vineyard,  and  let  it  out  to  husbandmen  :  and  he  was  abroad  for  a  long  time. 

10.  And  at  the  season  he  sent  a  servant  to  the  husbandmen,  that  they 
should  give  him  of  the  fruit  of  the  vineyard.  Who,  beating  him,  sent  him  away 
empty. 

IT.  And  again  he  sent  another  servant.  But  they  beat  him  also,  and  treat- 
ing him  reproachfully,  sent  him  away  empty. 

12.  And  again  he  sent  the  third :  and  they  wounded  him  also,  and  cast  him 
out. 

13.  Then  the  lord  of  the  vineyard  said:  What  shall  T  do?  I  will  send  my 
beloved  son :  it  may  be,  when  they  see  him,  they  will  reverence  him. 

14.  Whom  when  the  husbandmen  saw,  they  thought  within  themselves,  say- 
ing ;  This  is  the  heir,  let  us  kill  him,  that  the  inheritance  may  be  ours. 

15.  So  casting  him  out  of  the  vineyard,  they  killed  him.  What  therefore 
will  the  lord  of  the  vineyard  do  to  them? 

16.  He  will  come,  and  will  destroy  these  husbandmen,  and  will  give  the 
vineyard  to  others.    Which  they  hearing,  said  to  him :  God  forbid. 

17.  But  he  looking  on  them,  said:  What  is  this  then  that  is  written.  The 
.stone,  which  the  builders  rejected,  the  same  is  become  the  head  of  the  corner? 

18.  Whosoever  shall  fall  upon  that  stone,  shall  be  bruised ;  and  upon  whom- 
soever it  shall  fall,  it  will  grind  him  to  powder. 

19.  And  the  chief  priests  and  the  scribes  sought  to  lay  hands  on  him  the 
same  hour :  but  they  feared  the  people,  for  they  knew  that  he  spoke  this 
parable  to  them. 

20.  And  being  upon  the  watch,  they  sent  spies,  who  should  feign  themselves 
just,  that  they  might  take  hold  of  him  in  his  words,  that  they  might  deliver  him 
up  to  the  authority  and  power  of  the  governor. 

21.  And  they  asked  him,  saying:  Master,  we  know  that  thou  speakest  and 
teachest  rightly :  and  thou  dost  not  respect  any  person,  but  teachest  the  way  of 
God  in  truth. 

22.  Is  it  lawful  for  us  to  give  tribute  to  Caesar,  or  no? 

23.  But  he,  considering  their  guile,  said  to  them  :  Why  tempt  you  me? 

24.  Shew  me  a  penny.  Whose  image  and  inscription  hath  it?  They  an- 
swering, said  to  him,  Caesar's. 

25.  And  he  said  to  them :  Render  therefore  to  Caesar  the  things  that  are 
Caesar's :  and  to  God  the  things  that  are  God's. 

26.  And  they  could  not  reprehend  his  word  before  the  people :  and  wonder- 
ing at  his  answer,  they  held  their  peace. 

27.  And  there  came  to  him  some  of  the  Sadducees,  who  deny  that  there  is 
any  resurrection,  and  they  asked  him, 

9-19.  See  on  Matthew  xxi.  33-46.  In  the  appHcation  of  verse  22 
of  Psalm  cxvii,  quoted  here  (verse  17),  the  builders  (of  the 
Temple)  were  the  rulers  of  Israel,  the  stone  was  the  Messiah. 
As  the  builders  of  the  Temple  rejected  some  stones  as  unfit  for 
use,  so  the  rulers  of  Israel,  as  the  prophets  had  foretold,  rejected 
our  Lord,  as  injurious  to  their  purposes  and  teachings. 

20-40.    See  on  Matthew  xxii.  15-32. 


376  ST.  LUKE  XX,  28-47 

28.  Saying:  Master,  Moses  wrote  unto  us,  If  any  man's  brother  die,  having 
a  wife,  and  he  leave  no  children,  that  his  brother  should  take  her  to  wife,  and 
raise  up  seed  unto  his  brother. 

29.  There  were  therefore  seven  brethren:  and  the  first  took  a  wife,  and 
died  without  children. 

30.  And  the  next  took  her  to  wife,  and  he  also  died  childless. 

31.  And  the  third  took  her.  And  in  like  manner  all  the  seven,  and  they  left 
no  children,  and  died. 

32.  Last  of  all  the  woman  died  also. 

33.  In  the  resurrection  therefore,  whose  wife  of  them  shall  she  be?  For  all 
the  seven  had  her  to  wife. 

34.  And  Jesus  said  to  them :  The  children  of  this  world  marry,  and  are 
given  in  marriage : 

35.  But  they  that  shall  be  accounted  worthy  of  that  world,  and  of  the  resur- 
rection from  the  dead,  shall  neither  be  married,  nor  take  wives. 

36.  Neither  can  they  die  any  more :  for  they  are  equal  to  the  angels,  and 
are  the  children  of  God,  being  the  children  of  the  resurrection. 

37.  Now  that  the  dead  rise  again,  Moses  also  shewed,  at  the  bush,  when  he 
called  the  Lord,  The  God  of  Abraham,  and  the  God  of  Isaac,  and  the  God  of 
Jacob ; 

38.  For  he  is  not  the  God  of  the  dead,  but  of  the  living :  for  all  live  to  him. 

39.  And  some  of  the  scribes  answering,  said  to  him  :  Master,  thou  hast  said 
well. 

40.  And  after  that  they  durst  not  ask  him  any  more  questionj. 

41.  But  he  said  to  them :  How  say  they  that  Christ  is  the  son  of  David? 

42.  And  David  himself  saith  in  the  book  of  Psalms:  The  Lord  said  to  my 
Lord,  sit  thou  on  my  right  hand, 

43.  Till  I  make  thy  enemies  thy  footstool. 

44.  David  then  calleth  him  Lord :  and  how  is  he  his  son  ? 

45.  And  in  the  hearing  of  all  the  people,  he  said  to  his  disciples  : 

46.  Beware  of  the  scribes,  who  desire  to  walk  in  long  robes,  and  love  salu- 
tations in  the  marketplace,  and  the  first  chairs  in  the  synagogues,  and  the 
chief  rooms  at  feasts  : 

47.  Who  devour  the  houses  of  widows,  feigning  long  prayer.  These  shall 
receive  greater  damnation. 


41-44.    See  on  Matthew  xxii.  42-45, 
46,  47.    See  on  Matthew  xxiii,  5-7. 


ST.  LUKE  XXI,  1-6  377 


CHAPTER  XXI 

The  Widow's  Mite,  1-4. 

Jesus  Foretells  the  Ruin  of  the  Temple  and  the 
Trials  of  His  Followers,  5-19. 

The  Destruction  of  Jerusalem,  20-24. 

The  Signs  that  shall  Precede  the  Final  Com- 
ing OF  THE  Son  of  Man,  25-28. 

Exhortation  to  Vigilance,  29-38. 

1.  And  looking  on,  he  saw  the  rich  men  cast  their  gifts  into  the  treasury. 

2.  And  he  saw  also  a  certain  poor  widow  casting  in  two  brass  mites. 

3.  And  he  said :  Verily  I  say  to  you,  that  this  poor  widow  hath  cast  in  more 
than  they  all : 

4.  For  all  these  have  of  their  abundance  cast  into  the  offerings  of  God :  but 
she  of  her  want,  hath  cast  in  all  the  living  that  she  had. 

5.  And  some  saying  of  the  temple,  that  it  was  adorned  with  goodly  stones 
and  gifts,  he  said  : 

6.  These  things  which  you  see,  the  days  will  come  in  which  there  shall  not 
be  left  a  stone  upon  a  stone  that  shall  not  be  thrown  down. 

1-4.    See  on  Mark  xii.  41-44. 

5.  And  some  saying  of  the  temple,  etc.  The  contents  of  this 
and  of  the  following  verse  were  spoken,  as  we  know  from  St.  Mark 
(xiii.  i),  "as  our  Lord  was  going  out  of  the  temple"  for  the  last 
time.  Perhaps  it  was  when  they  were  already  ascending  the  slopes 
of  Mt.  Olivet,  and  the  disciples,  struck  sad,  by  the  prediction  which 
our  Lord  had  just  made,  looked  back  at  the  Temple  with  its  marble 
and  gold  glittering  in  the  setting  sun,  and  they  called  our  Lord's 
attention  to  the  magnificent  spectacle  it  presented,  as  if  to  try  to 
move  Him  to  avert,  if  possible,  the  calamity  which  He  had  pre- 
dicted would  befall  it. 

That  it  was  adorned  with  goodly  stones  and  gifts.  These  gifts 
were  votive  offerings  {avadrnxaTo)  which  kings  and  others  had  pre- 
sented to  the  Temple  (2  Mach.  iii.  2;  v.  16). 

6.  These  things  which  you  see,  — TaOra  a  ^tcopetrc.  These  words 
show  that  our  Lord  and  the  disciples  were  contemplating  the  beau- 
ties of  the  Temple  in  all  their  external  grandeur,  and  that  they 


3/8  ST.  LUKE  XXI,  7-19 

7.  And  they  asked  him,  saying:  Master,  when  shall  these  things  be?  and 
what  shall  be  the  sign  when  they  shall  begin  to  come  to  pass  ? 

8.  Who  said:  Take  heed  you  be  not  seduced;  for  many  will  come  in  my 
name,  saying,  I  am  he ;  and  the  time  is  at  hand :  go  ye  not  therefore  after 
them, 

9.  And  when  you  shall  hear  of  wars  and  seditions,  be  not  terrified:  these 
things  must  first  come  to  pass ;  but  the  end  is  not  yet  presently. 

10.  Then  he  said  to  them  :  Nation  shall  rise  against  nation,  and  kingdom 
against  kingdom. 

11.  And  there  shall  be  great  earthquakes  in  divers  places,  and  pestilences, 
and  famines,  and  terrors  from  heaven ;  and  there  shall  be  great  signs. 

12.  But  before  all  these  things,  they  will  lay  their  hands  on  you,  and  perse- 
cute you,  delivering  you  up  to  the  synagogues  and  into  prisons,  dragging  you 
before  kings  and  governors,  for  my  name's  sake. 

13.  And  it  shall  happen  unto  you  for  a  testimony. 

14.  Lay  it  up  therefore  in  your  hearts,  not  to  meditate  before  how  you  shall 
answer : 

15.  For  I  will  give  you  a  mouth  and  wisdom,  which  all  your  adversaries 
shall  not  be  able  to  resist  and  gainsay. 

16.  And  you  shall  be  betrayed  by  your  parents  and  brethren,  and  kinsmen 
and  friends ;  and  some  of  you  they  will  put  to  death. 

17.  And  you  shall  be  hated  by  all  men  for  my  name's  sake. 

18.  But  a  hair  of  your  head  shall  not  perish. 

19.  In  your  patience  you  shall  possess  your  souls. 

were,  consequently,  outside  and  some  little  distance  from  the  mag- 
nificent structure.  Only  Matthew  and  Mark,  however,  explicitly 
state  that  our  Lord  had  left  the  Temple  when  He  pronounced  His 
discourse  on  the  end  of  the  world. 

7-12.    See  on  Matthew  xxiv.  3-9. 

12.  But  before  all  these  things,  etc.;  i.e.,  during  the  long  period 
which  will  intervene  between  the  prediction  of  our  Lord  and  the 
end  of  the  world,  His  disciples  and  faithful  followers  shall  have 
many  and  diverse  sufferings  to  bear, 

13-17.    See  on  Matthew  x.  18-22. 

18.  This  verse  shows  the  careful  providence  of  God  over  His 
devoted  followers ;  nothing  shall  really  harm  them,  and  from  all 
evils  He  will  finally  deliver  them.  The  verse  is  not  to  be  under- 
stood in  its  literal  sense. 

19.  In  your  patience  you  shall  possess  your  souls,  —  literally, 
"  by  your  endurance  you  shall  save  your  souls."  The  meaning  is, 
that  by  a  patient  endurance  of  the  trials  and  sufferings  which  fall 
to  the  lot  of  Christ's  followers,  they  will  save  their  souls  for  the 
life  to  come. 


ST.  LUKE  XXI,  20-33  379 

30.  And  when  you  shall  see  Jerusalem  compassed  about  with  an  army ;  then 
know  that  the  desolation  thereof  is  at  hand. 

21.  Then  let  those  who  are  in  Judea,  flee  to  the  mountains;  and  those  who 
are  in  the  midst  thereof,  depart  out:  and  those  who  are  in  the  countries,  not 
enter  into  it. 

22.  For  these  are  the  days  of  vengeance,  that  all  things  may  be  fulfilled, 
that  are  written. 

2Z.  But  woe  to  them  that  are  with  child,  and  give  suck  in  those  days;  for 
there  shall  be  great  distress  in  the  land,  and  wrath  upon  this  people. 

24.  And  they  shall  fall  by  the  edge  of  the  sword ;  and  shall  be  led  away  cap- 
tives into  all  nations ;  and  Jerusalem  shall  be  trodden  down  by  the  Gentiles ; 
till  the  times  of  the  nations  be  fulfilled. 

25.  And  there  shall  be  signs  in  the  sun,  and  in  the  moon,  and  in  the  stars; 
and  upon  the  earth  distress  of  nations,  by  reason  of  the  confusion  of  the  roar- 
ing of  the  sea  and  of  the  waves; 

26.  Men  withering  away  for  fear,  and  expectation  of  what  shall  come  upon 
the  whole  world.    For  the  powers  of  heaven  shall  be  moved; 

27.  And  then  they  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  coming  in  a  cloud,  with  great 
power  and  majesty. 

28.  But  when  these  things  begin  to  come  to  pass,  look  up,  and  lift  up  your 
heads,  because  your  redemption  is  at  hand. 

29.  And  he  spoke  to  them  a  similitude.  See  the  fig  tree,  and  all  the 
trees : 

30.  When  they  now  shoot  forth  their  fruit,  you  know  that  summer  is 
nigh; 

31.  So  you  also,  when  you  shall  see  these  things  come  to  pass,  know  that 
the  kingdom  of  God  is  at  hand. 

T,2.  Amen,  I  say  to  you,  this  generation  shall  not  pass  away,  till  all  things 
be  fulfilled. 

i^.  Heaven  and  earth  shall  pass  away,  but  my  words  shall  not  pass  away. 

20-23.  See  on  Matthew  xxiv.  15-20.  Verse  22  refers  to  Isaias 
(xxxiv.  8)  and  Daniel  (ix.  26). 

24.  This  verse  expresses  some  of  the  sufferings  which  preceded 
the  fall  of  Jerusalem,  and  it  is  especially  descriptive  of  the  lot 
of  the  Jews  even  to  the  end  of  the  world.  There  is  an  intima- 
tion also  in  this  verse,  that  just  before  the  end  of  the  world  the 
Jews  shall  be  aggregated  to  the  Church ;  but  the  main  thing 
which  our  Lord  is  insisting  on  here  is,  that  the  Gentiles  are  to 
be  preferred,  and  that  desolation  shall  continue  for  the  Jews 
'even  to  the  consummation  and  to  the  end  of  the  world'  (Daniel 
ix.  2y). 

The  times  of  the  Gentiles,  means  the  period  before  the  call  of 
the  Gentiles  into  the  Church  and  the  second  coming  of  Christ. 

25-33.    See  on  Matthew  xxiv.  29-35. 


38o  ST.  LUKE  XXI,  34-38 

34.  And  take  heed  to  yourselves,  lest  perhaps  your  hearts  be  overcharged 
with  surfeiting  and  drunkenness,  and  the  cares  of  this  life,  and  that  day  come 
upon  you  suddenly. 

35.  For  as  a  snare  shall  it  come  upon  all  that  sit  upon  the  face  of  the  whole 
earth. 

36.  Watch  ye,  therefore,  praying  at  all  times,  that  you  may  be  accounted 
worthy  to  escape  all  these  things  that  are  to  come,  and  to  stand  before  the 
Son  of  man. 

2,y.  And  in  the  daytime,  he  was  teaching  in  the  temple ;  but  at  night,  going 
out,  he  abode  in  the  mount  that  is  called  Olivet. 

38.  And  all  the  people  came  early  in  the  morning  to  him  in  the  temple,  to 
hear  him. 

34-36.  In  these  verses  our  Lord  is  exhorting  His  disciples,  and 
through  them  all  of  us,  to  be  ever  watchful  and  prepared  for  His 
coming,  which  will  be  at  death,  for  each  one  individually,  and  at  the 
end  of  the  world  for  the  race  in  general. 

37.  And  in  the  daytime  he  was  teaching,  etc.  This  means  that 
it  had  been  His  custom  to  teach  daily  in  the  Temple,  etc.  It  does 
not  mean  that  after  the  exhortation  just  given  in  the  preceding 
verses,  He  taught  daily  in  the  Temple,  because  we  know  that  He 
had  already  finally  left  the  Temple  after  denouncing  the  Scribes 
and  the  Pharisees  (Matt,  xxiii.  39;  xxiv.  i). 


ST.  LUKE  XXII,  1-14  381 


CHAPTER  XXII 

Judas  Makes  Ready  to  Betray  Our  Lord,  1-6. 
The  Preparation  for  the  Paschal  Supper,  7-13. 
The  Last   Supper  and  the   Institution   of  the 

Holy  Eucharist,  14-20. 
The  Betrayal  is  Announced,  21-23. 
Jesus   Rebukes  the  Apostles   for   their    Strife, 

Prays   for   St.   Peter,   Foretells  the  Denial 

OF  Peter,  etc.,  24-38. 
Jesus  in  Gethsemani,  39-46. 
Jesus  is  Apprehended,  47-53. 
The  Denials  of  Peter,  54-62. 
Jesus  is  Mocked,  63-65. 
Jesus  Before  the  Sanhedrim,  66-71. 

1.  Now  the  feast  of  unleavened  bread,  which  is  called  the  pasch,  was  at  hand. 

2.  And  the  chief  priests  and  the  scribes  sought  how  they  might  put  Jesus  to 
death :  but  they  feared  the  people. 

3.  And  Satan  entered  into  Judas,  who  was  surnamedlscariot.one  of  the  twelve. 

4.  And  he  went,  and  discoursed  with  the  chief  priests  and  the  magistrates, 
how  he  might  betray  him  to  them. 

5.  And  they  were  glad,  and  covenanted  to  give  him  money. 

6.  And  he  promised.  And  he  sought  opportunity  to  betray  him  in  the  ab- 
sence of  the  multitude. 

7.  And  the  day  of  the  unleavened  bread  came,  on  which  it  was  necessary 
that  the  pasch  should  be  killed. 

8.  And  he  sent  Peter  and  John,  saying :  Go,  and  prepare  for  us  the  pasch, 
that  we  may  eat. 

Q.  But  they  said :  Where  wilt  thou  that  we  prepare? 

10.  And  he  said  to  them :  Behold,  as  you  go  into  the  city,  there  shall  meet 
you  a  man  carrying  a  pitcher  of  water:  follow  him  into  the  house  where  he 
entereth  in. 

11.  And  you  shall  say  to  the  goodman  of  the  house:  The  master  saith  to 
thee.  Where  is  the  guest  chamber,  where  I  may  cat  the  pasch  with  my  disciples? 

12.  And  he  will  shew  you  a  large  dining  room,  furnished;  and  there  prepare. 

13.  And  they  going,  found  as  he  had  said  to  them,  and  made  ready  the  pasch! 

14.  And  when  the  hour  was  come,  he  sat  down,  and  the  twelve  apostles 
with  him. 

I,  2.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  2-5. 
3-6.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  14-16. 
7-14.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  17-20. 


382  ST.  LUKE  XXII,  15-23 

15.  And  he  said  to  them :  With  desire  I  have  desired  to  eat  this  pasch  with 
you,  before  I  suffer. 

16.  For  I  say  to  you,  that  from  this  time  I  will  not  eat  it,  till  it  be  fulfilled 
in  the  kingdom  of  God. 

17.  And  having  taken  the  chalice,  he  gave  thanks,  and  said :  Take,  and  divide 
it  among  you : 

18.  For  I  say  to  you,  that  I  will  not  drink  of  the  fruit  of  the  vine,  till  the 
kingdom  of  God  come. 

19.  And  taking  bread,  he  gave  thanks,  and  brake;  and  gave  to  them,  saying : 
This  is  my  body,  which  is  given  for  you.    Do  this  for  a  commemoration  of  me. 

20.  In  like  manner  the  chalice  also,  after  he  had  supped,  saying:  This  is  the 
chalice,  the  new  testament  in  my  blood,  which  shall  be  shed  for  you. 

21.  But  yet  behold,  the  hand  of  him  that  betrayeth  me  is  with  me  on  the 
table. 

22.  And  the  Son  of  man  indeed  goeth,  according  to  that  which  is  deter- 
mined :  but  yet,  woe  to  that  man  by  whom  he  shall  be  betrayed. 

23.  And  they  began  to  inquire  among  themselves,  which  of  them  it  was  that 
should  do  this  thing. 


15.  With  desire  I  have  desired,  etc.  This  is  a  Hebrew  form  of 
expression,  which  signifies  intense  desire.  Our  Lord  eagerly  de- 
sired to  eat  this  last  Pasch  with  His  disciples,  because  He  knew 
it  was  then  that  He  would  institute  the  Holy  Eucharist,  the  en- 
during pledge  of  His  love,  and  the  perpetual  memorial  of  His 
coming  Passion. 

16.  See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  29. 

17.  Having  taken  the  chalice,  etc.  This  was  not  the  chalice  out- 
Lord  consecrated  into  His  blood,  but  one  of  the  ceremonial  chalices 
which  were  passed  around  during  the  Paschal  Supper. 

18.  The  words  of  this  verse  are  placed  by  St.  Matthew  (xxvi. 
29)  and  by  St.  Mark  (xiv.  25)  after  the  communion  of  the  Apostles. 
But  St.  Luke  is  here  relating  what  the  others  omitted ;  namely,  the 
first  benediction  and  distribution  of  wine,  which  marked  the  be- 
ginning of  the  Paschal  Supper.  This  verse  is  suggestive  of  the 
official  prayer  which  the  father  of  the  family  was  accustomed  to 
recite  at  the  beginning  of  the  Paschal  meal. 

19-23.  See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  21-28.  From  these  verses  of 
St.  Luke  many  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Church  have  concluded  that 
Judas  partook  with  the  rest  of  Holy  Communion.  But  we  know 
from  St.  Matthew  (xxvi.  21-26)  and  from  St.  Mark  (xiv.  18-22) 
that  St.  Luke  here  has  not  preserved  the  exact  order  of  events. 
Hence  from  the  earliest  times  down  to  St.   Hilary  many  Doctors 


ST.  LUKE  XXII,  24-30  383 

24.  And  there  was  also  a  strife  amongst  them,  which  of  them  should  s«em 
to  be  the  greater. 

25.  And  he  said  to  them :  The  kings  of  the  Gentiles  lord  it  over  them  ;  and 
they  that  have  power  over  them,  are  called  beneficent. 

26.  But  you  not  so :  but  he  that  is  the  greater  among  you,  let  him  become  as 
the  younger ;  and  he  that  is  the  leader,  as  he  that  serveth. 

27.  For  which  is  greater,  he  that  sitteth  at  table,  or  he  that  serveth? 
Is  not  he  that  sitteth  at  table?  But  I  am  in  the  midst  of  you,  as  he  that 
serveth : 

28.  And  you  are  they  who  have  continued  with  me  in  my  temptations : 

29.  And  I  dispose  to  you,  as  my  Father  hath  disposed  to  me,  a  kingdom ; 

30.  That  you  may  eat  and  drink  at  my  table,  in  my  kingdom  :  and  may  sit 
upon  thrones,  judging  the  twelve  tribes  of  Israel. 

of  great  weight  have  thought  that  Holy  Communion  was  not 
instituted  until  after  the  departure  of  Judas.  Cf.  Cornely,  iii. 
p.  298,  note. 

We  have  a  fourfold  account  of  the  institution  of  the  Blessed 
Eucharist ;  namely,  in  the  three  Synoptics  and  in  St.  Paul  ( i  Cor. 
xi.  23).  The  accounts  of  Matthew  and  Mark  are  almost  identical, 
as  are  likewise  the  accounts  of  St.  Luke  and  St.  Paul,  These  latter 
two  add  to  the  accounts  of  the  former: —  (a)  "This  is  My  body 
which  is  given  (St.  Luke),  bruised  (St.  Paul),  for  you  ";  (b)  they 
explicitly  state  that  the  Saviour's  blood  is  the  "  New  Testament '' ; 
(c)  finally  they  add,  after  the  consecration  of  the  bread,  '"  Do  this 
for  a  commemoration  of  me."  Moreover  it  would  seem  from  St. 
Luke  and  St.  Paul  that  the  consecration  of  both  the  bread  and  the 
wine  took  place  after  the  supper,  nera  to  detTvrjaai. 

24-27.  See  on  Matthew  xx.  25-27.  It  would  seem  that  these 
verses  were  here  inserted  by  St.  Luke  out  of  order ;  but  as  strife 
among  the  disciples  probably  occurred  somewhat  frequently,  it  is 
possible  that  even  at  the  Last  Supper  some  contentious  wrangling 
among  them  gave  occasion  for  the  rebuke  from  our  Lord  here 
narrated  by  St.  Luke.  St.  Luke  here  (verses  24-30)  ought  natu- 
rally to  be  joined  to  St.  John  (xiii.  1-20). 

28.  And  you  are  they,  etc.  After  having  just  rebuked  the  dis- 
ciples our  Lord  now  consoles  them,  by  reminding  them  of  their 
constancy  and  faithfulness  to  Him  throughout  His  trials  and  suf- 
ferings ;  and  He  promises  to  them,  in  the  following  verse,  that  they 
shall  be  rewarded  in  the  Kingdom  of  His  Father. 

30.    See  on  Matthew  xix.  28. 


384  ST.  LUKE  XXII,  31-34 

31.  And  the  Lord  said :  Simon,  Simon,  behold  Satan  hath  desired  to  have 
you,  that  he  may  sift  you  as  wheat : 

32.  But  I  have  prayed  for  thee,  that  thy  faith  fail  not :  and  thou,  being 
once  converted,  confirm  thy  brethren. 

S3.  Who  said  to  him :  Lord,  I  am  ready  to  go  with  thee,  both  into  prison, 
and  to  death. 

34.  And  he  said :  I  say  to  thee,  Peter,  the  cock  shall  not  crow  this  day,  till 
thou  thrice  deniest  that  thou  knowest  me.    And  he  said  to  them : 

31.  Simon,  Simon,  behold  Satan  hath  desired,  etc.  Our  Lord 
here  reminds  the  Apostles  that  severe  trials  are  in  store  for  them, 
and  addressing  Peter  as  the  head  of  the  Apostles  He  tells  him 
that  Satan  has  desired,  i.e.,  "  has  demanded  "  {k^jiTrjaaro)  of  Him, 
as  before  in  the  case  of  Job,  that  he  be  allowed  to  take  the  disciples 
and  sift  them  as  wheat,  i.e.,  subject  them  to  the  severest  temptations. 

32.  But  I  have  prayed  for  thee,  that  thy  faith  fail  not.  It  is 
remarkable  that  in  the  preceding  verse  Satan  desired  to  put  to  trial, 
not  only  Peter,  but  all  the  Apostles  ("you,"  vfxas),  whereas  our 
Lord  addresses  only  Peter  ("  for  thee,"  Trepi  aov),  showing  that  He 
regarded  Peter  as  the  head  of  the  Apostles. 

And  thou  being  once  converted;  i.e.,  after  having  repented  of 
thy  future  denial,  etc.  Some  think  that  "  being  converted  "  means 
simply,  "  in  turn  " ;  i.e.,  as  our  Lord  had  prayed  for  and  confirmed 
Peter  in  the  faith,  so  he,  Peter,  in  turn,  should  confirm  his  brethren 
in  the  faith. 

Thy  brethren,  by  which  is  understood  not  only  the  Apostles  but 
their  successors  also.  These  verses  (31,  32)  are  rightly  adduced 
as  a  proof  of  Papal  Supremacy  and  infallibility;  if  they  do  not 
mean  this,  it  is  very  difficult  to  see  what  significance  they  have. 
Cf.  on  Matthew  xvi.  19. 

33.  Peter  shows  his  readiness  to  suffer  anything  for  our  Lord, 
but  in  so  doing  he  also  manifests  his  misconception  of  his  own 
weakness  (verse  32).  He  relies  more  on  his  own  strength  than 
on  the  help  of  God. 

34.  Till  thou  thrice  deniest,  etc.  St.  Mark  who  received  his 
information  directly  from  St.  Peter  says  more  exactly,  "  before  the 
cock  crow  twice."  The  meaning  is  that  before  the  dawn  of  another 
day  Peter  would  deny  his  Master.  The  cock  was  accustomed  to 
crow  twice  during  the  night,  at  midnight  and  at  dawn.  Cf.  on 
Matthew  xxvi.  34. 


ST.  LUKE  XXII,  35-46  385 

35.  When  I  sent  you  without  purse,  and  scrip,  and  shoes,  did  you  want  any 
thing? 

36.  Rut  they  said  :  Nothing.  Then  said  he  unto  them  :  But  now  he  that 
hath  a  purse,  let  him  take  it,  and  likewise  a  scrip;  and  he  that  hath  not,  let 
him  sell  his  coat,  and  buy  a  sword. 

27 .  For  I  say  to  you,  that  this  that  is  written  must  yet  be  fulfilled  in  me  :  And 
with  the  wicked  was  he  reckoned.    For  the  things  concerning  me  have  an  end. 

38.  But  they  said  :  Lord,  behold  here  are  two  swords.  .And  he  said  to  them, 
It  is  enough. 

39.  And  going  out,  he  went,  according  to  his  custom,  to  the  mount  of 
Olives.    And  his  disciples  also  followed  him. 

40.  And  when  he  was  come  to  the  place,  he  said  to  them  :  Pray,  lest  ye 
enter  into  temptation. 

41.  And  he  was  withdrawn  away  from  them  a  stone's  cast;  and  kneeling 
down,  he  prayed, 

42.  Saying :  Father,  if  thou  wilt,  remove  this  chalice  from  me :  but  yet  not 
my  will,  but  thine  be  done. 

43.  And  there  appeared  to  him  an  angel  from  heaven,  strengthening  him. 
And  being  in  an  agony,  he  prayed  the  longer. 

44.  And  his  sweat  became  as  drops  of  blood,  trickling  down  upon  the  ground. 

45.  And  when  he  rose  up  from  prayer,  and  was  come  to  his  disciples,  he 
found  them  sleeping  for  sorrow. 

46.  And  he  said  to  them:  Why  sleep  you?  arise,  pray,  lest  you  enter  into 
temptation. 

35.  36.  In  these  verses  our  Lord  is  hinting  at  His  coming  Pas- 
sion and  death,  after  which  His  disciples  will  not  have  the  help  and 
strength  of  His  comforting  presence  in  human  form.  He  does  not 
mean  that  they  are  literally  to  carry  a  sword,  but  that  the  enemies 
they  shall  encounter  will  be  such  as  severely  to  try  them. 

37.  And  with  the  wicked  he  was  reckoned,  from  the  prophecy  of 
Isaias  (liii.  12).  For  the  things  concerning  me.  etc.,  i.e.,  all  the 
prophecies  relative  to  the  Messiah  are  soon  to  have  their  fulfillment. 

38.  Here  are  two  swords.  The  most  probable  way  of  accounting 
for  the  two  swords  which  the  disciples  had  is  that  it  was  customary 
for  Galileans  going  to  Jerusalem  to  arm  themselves  to  some  extent, 
because  of  the  robbers  along  the  way. 

It  is  enough;  i.e.,  enough  said  about  this.  The  Apostles  had 
failed  to  understand  the  figurative  meaning  of  our  Lord's  words, 
and  He  wished  to  put  an  end  to  the  conversation. 

39.  According  to  his  custom.  It  was  our  Lord's  custom  when- 
ever He  was  at  Jerusalem  to  go  out  at  night  to  the  Mount  of  Olives 
and  spend  the  night  in  prayer. 

40-46.     See  on   Matthew  xxvi.  37-41.     Verses  43  and  44  are 


386  ST.  LUKE  XXII,  47-60 

47.  As  he  was  yet  speaking,  behold  a  multitude  ;  and  he  that  was  called  Judas, 
one  of  the  twelve,  went  before  them,  and  drew  near  to  Jesus,  for  to  kiss  him. 

48.  And  Jesus  said  to  him  :  Judas,  dost  thou  betray  the  Son  of  man  with  a  kiss? 

49.  And  they  that  were  about  him,  seeing  what  would  follow,  said  to  him : 
Lord,  shall  we  strike  with  the  sword? 

50.  And  one  of  them  struck  the  servant  of  the  high  priest,  and  cut  off  his 
right  ear. 

51.  But  Jesus  answering,  said:  Suffer  ye  thus  far.  And  when  he  had 
touched  his  ear,  he  healed  him. 

52.  And  Jesus  said  to  the  chief  priests,  and  magistrates  of  the  temple,  and 
the  ancients,  that  were  come  unto  him :  Are  ye  come  out,  as  it  were  against  a 
thief,  with  swords  and  clubs? 

53.  When  I  was  daily  with  you  in  the  temple,  you  did  not  stretch  forth  your 
hands  against  me:  but  this  is  your  hour,  and  the  power  of  darkness. 

54.  And  apprehending  him,  they  led  him  to  the  high  priest's  house.  But 
Peter  followed  afar  off. 

55.  And  when  they  had  kindled  a  fire  in  the  midst  of  the  hall,  and  were 
sitting  about  it.  Peter  was  in  the  midst  of  them. 

56.  Whom  when  a  certain  servant  maid  had  been  sitting  at  the  light,  and  had 
earnestly  beheld  him,  she  said :  This  man  also  was  with  him. 

57.  But  he  denied  him,  saying :  Woman,  I  know  him  not. 

58.  And  after  a  little  while,  another  seeing  him,  said  :  Thou  also  art  one  of 
them.    But  Peter  said :  O  man,  I  am  not. 

59.  And  after  the  space,  as  it  were  of  one  hour,  another  certain  man 
affirmed,  saying:  Of  a  truth,  this  man  was  also  with  him;  for  he  is  also  a 
Galilean. 

60.  And  Peter  said :  Man,  I  know  not  what  thou  sayest.  And  immediately, 
as  he  was  yet  speaking,  the  cock  crew. 

wanting  in  the  Vatican  and  Alexandrian  MSS.,  but  since  all  the 
most  ancient  versions  have  them,  and  since  they  are  approved  by 
a  number  of  the  Fathers  in  their  time,  they  are  believed  to  be  au- 
thentic. The  apparition  of  the  angel  (verse  43)  is  regarded  by 
some  as  an  interior,  invisible  assistance  given  to  our  Lord.  The 
majority  of  authorities,  how^ever,  have  held  that  the  angel  was 
really  one  of  the  heavenly  spirits  sent  to  Jesus  to  sustain  Him  and 
to  testify  to  His  fortitude. 

47.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  47. 

48-51.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  51,  52. 

52,  53.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  55,  56. 

54.  See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  57-59. 

55.  See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  69. 
58,  59.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  70. 

60.  The  cock  crew.  This  was  the  last  crow  of  the  cock  at  dawn, 
just  before  which  Peter  had  uttered  his  third  denial  of  our  Lord. 


ST.  LUKE  XXII,  61-71  387 

61.  And  the  Lord  turning  looked  on  Peter.  And  Peter  remembered  the 
word  of  the  Lord,  as  he  had  said :  Before  the  cock  crow,  thou  shalt  deny  me 
thrice. 

62.  And  Peter  going  out,  wept  bitterly. 

63.  And  the  men  that  held  him,  mocked  him,  and  struck  him. 

64.  And  they  blindfolded  him,  and  smote  his  face.  .A.nd  they  asked  him, 
saying :  Prophesy,  who  is  it  that  struck  thee  ? 

65.  And  blaspheming,  many  other  things  they  said  against  him. 

66.  And  as  soon  as  it  was  day,  the  ancients  of  the  people,  and  the  chief 
priests  and  scribes,  came  together ;  and  they  brought  him  into  their  council, 
saying:  If  thou  be  the  Christ,  tell  us. 

67.  And  he  saith  to  them :  If  I  shall  tell  you,  you  will  not  believe  me. 

68.  And  if  I  shall  also  ask  you,  you  will  not  answer  me,  nor  let  me  go. 

69.  But  hereafter  the  Son  of  man  shall  be  sitting  on  the  right  hand  of  the 
power  of  God. 

70.  Then  said  they  all :  Art  thou  then  the  Son  of  God?  Who  said :  You  say 
that  I  am. 

71.  And  they  said :  What  need  we  any  further  testimony?  for  we  ourselves 
have  heard  it  from  his  own  mouth. 

66.    See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  t. 

If  thou  be  the  Christ;  i.e.,  the  Messiah,  the  Anointed,  whom  the 
Jews  were  expecting:.  The  Sanhedrim  were  seeking  some  cause 
for  which  to  condemn  our  Lord.  They  wished  to  force  Him  to 
proclaim  Himself  King,  since  only  His  claim  to  kingship  would 
have  any  influence  with  Pilate. 

67-71.  St.  Luke  in  these  verses  gives  a  more  detailed  account 
of  our  Lord's  trial  before  the  Sanhedrim  than  does  St.  Matthew, 
but  he  omits  the  preliminary  examination  which  Matthew  gives 
(xxvi.  59-66). 


388  ST.  LUKE  XXIII,  1-10 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

Jesus  Before  Pilate  and  Herod,  i-i6. 

Barabbas  is  Preferred,  Jesus  Condemned,   17-25. 

The  Way  of  the  Cross,  26-33. 

Jesus  on  the  Cross,  34-43. 

The  Agony  and  Death  of  Jesus,  44-49. 

The  Burial  of  Jesus,  50-56. 

1.  And  the  whole  multitude  of  them  rising  up,  led  him  to  Pilate. 

2.  And  they  began  to  accuse  him,  saying :  We  have  found  this  man  pervert- 
ing our  nation,  and  forbidding  to  give  tribute  to  Caesar,  and  saying  that  he  is 
Christ  the  king. 

3.  And  Pilate  asked  him,  saying:  Art  thou  the  king  of  the  Jews?  But  he 
answering,  said :  Thou  sayest  it. 

4.  And  Pilate  said  to  the  chief  priests  and  to  the  multitudes :  I  find  no 
cause  in  this  man. 

5.  But  they  were  more  earnest,  saying :  He  stirreth  up  the  people,  teaching 
throughout  all  Judea,  beginning  from  Galilee  to  this  place. 

6.  But  Pilate  hearing  Galilee,  asked  if  the  man  were  of  Galilee? 

7.  And  when  he  understood  that  he  was  of  Herod's  jurisdiction,  he  sent 
him  away  to  Herod,  who  was  also  himself  at  Jerusalem,  in  those  days. 

8.  And  Herod  seeing  Jesus,  was  very  glad ;  for  he  was  desirous  of  a  long 
time  to  see  him,  because  he  had  heard  many  things  of  him;  and  he  hoped  to 
see  some  sign  wrought  by  him. 

9.  And  he  questioned  him  in  many  words.     But  he  answered  him  nothing. 

10.  And  the  chief  priests  and  the  scribes  stood  by,  earnestly  accusing  him. 

1-3.  See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  11.  Neither  St.  Luke  nor  the  other 
Synoptists  have  the  characteristic  beginning  of  the  trial,  which 
St.  John  has  preserved  for  us. 

4.  I  find  no  cause  in  this  man.  Three  different  times  —  here 
and  in  verses  14  and  22,  Pilate  publicly  acknowledges  that  he  can 
find  nothing  in  our  Lord  wherefore  He  should  be  condemned  to 
death ;  but  because  of  his  weakness  and  indecision  of  character 
Pilate  is  unable  to  resist  the  Jews  and  act  according  to  his  own 
convictions. 

7.  To  Herod.  This  was  Herod  Antipas,  tetrarch  of  Galilee  and 
son  of  Herod  the  Great.  Pilate  wished  to  avoid  the  responsibility 
of  condemning  our  Lord,  and  this  is  why  he  sent  Him  to  Herod. 


ST.  LUKE  XXIII,  11-27  389 

11.  And  Herod  with  his  army  set  him  at  nought,  and  mocked  him,  putting 
on  him  a  white  garment,  and  sent  him  back  to  Pilate. 

12.  And  Herod  and  Pilate  were  made  friends,  that  same  day;  for  before 
they  were  enemies  one  to  another. 

13.  And  Pilate,  calling  together  the  chief  priests,  and  the  magistrates,  and 
the  people, 

14.  Said  to  them  :  You  have  presented  unto  me  this  man,  as  one  that  per- 
verteth  the  people;  and  behold  1,  having  examined  him  before  you,  find  no 
cause  in  this  man,  in  those  things  wherein  you  accuse  him. 

15.  No,  nor  Herod  neither.  For  I  sent  you  to  him,  and  behold,  nothing 
worthy  of  death  is  done  to  him. 

16.  I  will  chastise  him  therefore,  and  release  him. 

17.  Now  of  necessity  he  was  to  release  unto  them  one  upon  the  feast  day. 

18.  But  the  whole  multitude  together  cried  out,  saying :  Away  with  this 
man,  and  release  unto  us  Barabbas : 

19.  Who,  for  a  certain  sedition  made  in  the  city,  and  for  a  murder,  was  cast 
into  prison. 

20.  And  Pilate  again  spoke  to  them,  desiring  to  release  Jesus. 

21.  But  they  cried  again,  saying:  Crucify  him,  crucify  him. 

22.  And  he  said  to  them  the  third  time  :  Why,  what  evil  hath  this  man  done  ? 
I  find  no  cause  of  death  in  him.    1  will  chastise  him  therefore,  and  let  him  go. 

23.  But  they  were  instant  with  loud  voices,  requiring  that  he  might  be  cru- 
cified; and  their  voices  prevailed. 

24.  And  Pilate  gave  sentence  that  it  should  be  as  they  required. 

25.  And  he  released  unto  them  him  who  for  murder  and  sedition,  had  been 
cast  into  prison,  whom  they  had  desired ;  but  Jesus  he  delivered  up  to  their 
will. 

26.  And  as  they  led  him  away,  they  laid  hold  of  one  Simon  of  Cyrene,  com- 
ing from  the  country ;  and  they  laid  the  cross  on  him  to  carry  after  Jesus. 

27.  And  there  followed  him  a  great  multitude  of  people,  and  of  women,  who 
bewailed  and  lamented  him. 

II.  Set  him  at  naught;  i.e.,  despised  Him,  and  had  Him  clothed 
with  a  white  garment  in  mockery  of  His  claim  to  kingship. 

13.  And  the  people.  This  time  Pilate  called  the  people  to  wit- 
ness that  he  could  find  nothing  against  our  Lord. 

16.  I  will  chastise  him.  Being  unable  to  resist  the  people,  al- 
though he  knew  our  Lord  was  innocent,  Pilate  decided  to  have  Him 
scourged.  He  thought  this  would  satisfy  them  and  would  release 
himself  from  the  responsibility  of  condemning  the  Saviour  to  death. 

17.  See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  15.  In  many  of  the  best  MSS.  this 
verse  of  St.  Luke  is  omitted,  but  as  the  same  thought  is  expressed 
in  Matthew  it  must  be  regarded  as  genuine  here. 

18.  See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  16. 
22-25.    See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  24. 
26.    See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  ^2,  33. 


390  ST.  LUKE  XXIII,  28-38 

28.  But  Jesus  turning  to  them,  said :  Daughters  of  Jerusalem,  weep  not 
over  me ;  but  weep  for  yourselves,  and  for  your  children. 

29.  For  behold,  the  days  shall  come,  wherein  they  will  say :  Blessed  are  the 
barren,  and  the  wombs  that  have  not  borne,  and  the  paps  that  have  not  given 
suck. 

30.  Then  shall  they  begin  to  say  to  the  mountains :  Fall  upon  us ;  and  to  the 
hills :  Cover  us. 

31.  For  if  in  the  green  wood  they  do  these  things,  what  shall  be  done  in  the 
dry? 

32.  And  there  were  also  two  other  malefactors  led  with  him  to  be  put  to 
death. 

33.  And  when  they  were  come  to  the  place  which  is  called  Calvary,  they 
crucified  him  there ;  and  the  robbers,  one  on  the  right  hand,  and  the  other  on 
the  left. 

34.  And  Jesus  said ;  Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know  not  what  they  do. 
But  they,  dividing  his  garments,  cast  lots. 

35.  And  the  people  stood  beholding,  and  the  rulers  with  them  derided 
him,  saying:  He  saved  others;  let  him  save  himself,  if  he  be  Christ,  the  elect 
of  God. 

36.  And  the  soldiers  also  mocked  him,  coming  to  him,  and  offering  him 
vinegar, 

37.  And  saying;  If  thou  be  the  king  of  the  Jews,  save  thyself. 

38.  And  there  was  also  a  superscription  written  over  him  in  letters  of  Greek, 
and  Latin,  and  Hebrew  :  This  is  the  King  of  the  Jews. 


28-30.  In  these  verses  our  Lord  admonishes  the  women  who 
were  sympathizing  with  Him  of  the  terrible  evils  that  shall  befall 
the  Jewish  people  because  of  their  treatment  and  condemnation  of 
Him. 

31.  The  first,  or  direct  meaning  of  this  verse  is,  if  fire  burns 
the  green  wood,  how  much  more  will  it  burn  the  dry ;  in  the  appli- 
cation it  means  that  if  the  innocent  like  our  Lord  have  so  much  to 
suffer,  what  will  be  the  sufferings  and  punishments  of  the  guilty 
children  of  Israel  ?  Cf .  Ps.  i.  3 ;  Jer.  xvii.  8,  32,  33.  See  on  Mat- 
thew xxvii.  33,  38. 

34.  Father,  forgive  them,  etc.  While  the  cruel  tormentors  were 
nailing  our  Lord  to  the  cross  He  prayed  to  His  Father  for  their 
forgiveness. 

Divided  his  garments.    See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  35. 

35.  See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  42,  43. 

36.  St.  Luke  here  seems  less  exact  than  St.  Matthew  (xxvii.  34) 
and  St.  Mark  (xv.  23). 

38.    See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  37. 


ST.  LUKE  XXIII,  39-54  391 

39.  And  one  of  those  robbers  who  were  hanged,  blasphemed  him,  saying:  If 
thou  be  Christ,  save  thyself  and  us. 

40.  But  the  other  answering,  rebuked  him,  saying :  Neither  dost  thou  fear 
God,  seeing  thou  art  under  the  same  condemnation  ? 

41.  And  we  indeed  justly,  for  we  receive  the  due  reward  of  our  deeds;  but 
this  man  hath  done  no  evil. 

42.  And  he  said  to  Jesus:  Lord,  remember  me  when  thou  shalt  come  into 
thy  kingdom. 

43-  And  Jesus  said  to  him  ;  Amen  I  say  to  thee,  this  day  thou  shalt  be  with 
me  in  paradise. 

44.  And  it  was  almost  the  sixth  hour;  and  there  was  darkness  over  all  the 
earth  until  the  ninth  hour. 

45.  And  the  sun  was  darkened,  and  the  veil  of  the  temple  was  rent  in  the 
midst. 

46.  And  Jesus  crying  with  a  loud  voice,  said :  Father,  into  thy  hands  I  com- 
mend my  spirit.    And  saying  this,  he  gave  up  the  ghost. 

47.  Now  the  centurion,  seeing  what  was  done,  glorified  God,  saying:  Indeed 
this  was  a  just  man. 

48.  And  all  the  multitude  of  them  that  were  come  together  to  that  sight,  and 
saw  the  things  that  were  done,  returned  striking  their  breasts. 

49.  And  all  his  acquaintance,  and  the  women  that  had  followed  him  from 
Galilee,  stood  afar  off,  beholding  these  things. 

50.  And  behold  there  was  a  man  named  Joseph,  who  was  a  counsellor,  a 
good  and  a  just  man, 

51.  (The  same  had  not  consented  to  their  counsel  and  doings;)  of  Arima- 
thea,  a  city  of  Judea ;  who  also  himself  looked  for  the  kingdom  of  God. 

52.  This  man  went  to  Pilate,  and  begged  the  body  of  Jesus. 

53.  And  taking  him  down,  he  wrapped  him  in  fine  linen,  and  laid  him  in 
a  sepulchre  that  was  hewed  in  stone,  wherein  never  vet  any  man  had  been 
laid. 

54.  And  it  was  the  day  of  the  Parasceve,  and  the  sabbath  drew  on. 

39-41.    See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  44. 

44.  See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  45. 

45.  See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  51. 

46.  See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  50. 
47-49.  See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  54,  55. 

50,  51.  See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  57.  .-Mthough  Joseph  was  more 
probably  from  Ha-Ramathaim.  north  of  Jerusalem,  it  is  certain  that 
he  was  dwelling  in  Jerusalem  at  this  time. 

53.  See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  60.  The  text  of  the  Synoptists  would 
lead  us  to  believe  that  the  body  of  Jesus  was  not  embalmed  before 
burial,  but  from  St.  John  we  know  otherwise. 

54.  The  day  of  the  parasceve;  i.e.,  the  day  of  preparation  for 
the   Sabbath ;   and   the   sabbath    drew   on,   i.e.,   the   Sabbath   was 


392  ST.  LUKE  XXIII,  55,  56;  XXIV,  1-5 

55.  And  the  women  that  were  come  with  him  from  Galilee,  following  after, 
saw  the  sepulchre,  and  how  his  body  was  laid. 

56.  And  returning,  they  prepared  spices  and  ointments ;  and  on  the  sabbath 
day  they  rested,  according  to  the  commandment. 

about  to    begin,  —  literally,  "dawned"'    (kirk(l)0}aKev) .     It   was   just 
about  sunset,  and  the  Sabbath  began  at  sunset. 

55.  And  the  women  .  .  .  from  Galilee.  Many  of  the  holy 
women  in  Galilee  had  been  accustomed  to  follow  our  Lord  and 
minister  to  His  wants. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

The  Resurrection  of  Jesus,  1-12. 

The  Disciples  Going  to  Emmaus,  13-35. 

Jesus   Appears   to   the   Apostles   at   Jerusalem, 

36-43- 
Final  Instructions  to  the  Apostles,  44-49. 
The  Ascension  of  Jesus  into  Heaven,  50-53. 

1.  And  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  very  early  in  the  morning,  they  came  to 
the  sepulchre,  bringing  the  spices  which  they  had  prepared. 

2.  And  they  found  the  stone  rolled  back  from  the  sepulchre. 

3.  And  going  in,  they  found  not  the  body  of  the  Lord  Jesus. 

4.  And  it  came  to  pass,  as  they  were  astonished  in  their  mind  at  this,  behold, 
two  men  stood  by  them,  in  shining  apparel. 

5.  And  as  they  were  afraid,  and  bowed  down  their  countenance  towards  the 
ground,  they  said  unto  them :  Why  seek  you  the  living  with  the  dead? 

1.  See  on  Matthew  xxviii.  i ;  Mark  xvi.  i.  Some  think  St.  Luke 
is  here  speaking  of  a  different  company  of  women  from  that  spoken 
of  by  the  other  Evangelists.  This  company,  they  say,  arrived 
earlier  than  the  company  of  which  the  other  Gospels  speak,  as 
appears  from  verse  22. 

2.  See  on  Matthew  xxviii.  2-4. 

3.  See  on  Mark  xvi.  5. 

4.  They  were  astonished;  i.e.,  they  hesitated,  doubted. 

Two  men  stood  by  them,  etc. ;  i.e.,  two  angels  in  human  form 
appeared.  See  on  Matthew  xxviii.  2-4.  If  St.  Luke's  company  of 
pious  women  was  not  that  of  the  other  Evangelists  we  can  under- 
stand how  they  beheld  angels  standing. 

5.  As  they  were  afraid.    The  holy  women  bowed  their  heads 


ST.  LUKE  XXIV,  6-13  393 

6.  He  is  not  here,  but  is  risen.  Remember  how  he  spoke  unto  you,  when  he 
was  yet  in  Galilee, 

7.  Saying:  The  Son  of  man  must  be  delivered  into  the  hands  of  sinful  men, 
and  be  crucified,  and  the  third  day  rise  again. 

8.  And  they  remembered  his  words. 

9.  And  going  back  from  the  sepulchre,  they  told  all  these  things  to  the 
eleven,  and  to  all  the  rest. 

10.  And  it  was  Mary  Magdalen,  and  Joanna,  and  Mary  of  James,  and  the 
other  women  that  were  with  them,  who  told  these  things  to  the  apostles. 

11.  And  these  words  seemed  to  them  as  idle  tales;  and  they  did  not  believe 
them. 

12.  But  Peter  rising  up,  ran  to  the  sepulchre,  and  stooping  down,  he  saw 
the  linen  cloths  laid  by  themselves;  and  went  away  wondering  in  himself  at 
that  which  was  come  to  pass. 

13.  And  behold,  two  of  them  went,  the  same  day,  to  a  town  which  was 
sixty  furlongs  from  Jerusalem,  named  Emmaus. 

before  the  angels  partly  out  of  fear,  partly  also,  perhaps,  out  of 
reverence. 

6-8.  From  these  verses  it  is  evident  that  our  Lord  while  in 
Galilee  had  explained  not  only  to  His  disciples,  but  to  the  holy 
women  also  how  He  was  to  be  delivered  up,  made  to  suffer,  and 
finally  put  to  death,  and  the  third  day  rise  again.  Cf.  Matthew 
xvi.  21 ;  xvii.  21  ;  Mark  viii.  31  ;  ix.  30;  Luke  ix.  22. 

9,  10.    See  on  Matthew  xxviii.  8 ;  Mark  xvi.  8. 

11.  See  on  Mark  xvi.  11. 

12.  But  Peter  rising  up  .  .  .  and  stooping,  etc.  From  St.  John 
(xx.  3  and  6)  we  know  that  the  beloved  Apostle  accompanied 
St.  Peter  to  the  sepulchre,  and  further,  that  St.  Peter  not  only 
stooped  to  look  into  the  tomb,  but  actually  entered  it.  Commen- 
tators feel  that  this  present  verse  of  St.  Luke  was  taken  from  a 
separate  document  and  therefore  has  not  any  connection  with  verse 
II.  The  verse,  however,  is  authentic,  and  even  its  connection  with 
verse  11  can  be  explained,  if  we  bear  in  mind  what  has  been  said 
on  Mark  xvi.  ii. 

13.  Two  of  them.  That  these  disciples  were  not  two  of  the 
"  eleven  "  is  evident  from  verse  ;^;^,  below. 

Emmaus.  It  is  disputed  whether  this  was  the  town  now  known 
by  the  same  name  about  seven  miles  west  of  Jerusalem,  or  whether 
it  is  the  town  now  called  Nicopolis,  about  twenty-two  miles  west 
of  Jerusalem.  St.  Jerome  and  other  Fathers,  following  some  MSS., 
believe  it  was  the  latter  i:)lace.     The  true  reading  of  this  verse  of 


394  ST.  LUKE  XXIV,  14-24 

14.  And  they  talked  together  of  all  these  things  which  had  happened. 

15.  And  it  came  to  pass,  that  while  they  talked  and  reasoned  with  them- 
selves, Jesus  himself  also  drawing  near,  went  with  them. 

16.  But  their  eyes  were  held,  that  they  should  not  know  him. 

17.  And  he  said  to  them:  What  are  these  discourses  that  you  hold  one  with 
another  as  you  walk,  and  are  sad  ? 

18.  And  the  one  of  them,  whose  name  was  Cleophas,  answering,  said  to  him  : 
Art  thou  only  a  stranger  in  Jerusalem,  and  hast  not  known  the  things  that 
have  been  done  there  in  these  days? 

19.  To  whom  he  said:  What  things?  And  they  said:  Concerning  Jesus  of 
Nazareth,  who  was  a  prophet,  mighty  in  work  and  word  before  God  and  all 
the  people; 

20.  And  how  our  chief  priests  and  princes  delivered  him  to  be  condemned 
to  death,  and  crucified  him. 

21.  But  we  hoped,  that  it  was  he  that  should  have  redeemed  Israel :  and  now 
besides  all  this,  to  day  is  the  third  day  since  these  things  were  done. 

22.  Yea  and  certain  women  also  of  our  company  aflfrighted  us,  who  before 
it  was  light,  were  at  the  sepulchre, 

23.  And  not  finding  his  body,  came,  saying,  that  they  had  also  seen  a  vision 
of  angels,  who  say  that  he  is  alive. 

24.  And  some  of  our  people  went  to  the  sepulchre,  and  found  it  so  as  the 
women  had  said,  but  him  they  found  not. 

St.  Luke  says  that  the  place  whither  the  disciples  went  was  sixty 
furlongs  —  about  seven  miles  from  Jerusalem.  Moreover,  had  they 
gone  to  Emmaus  Nicopolis,  a  distance  of  twenty-two  miles  from 
Jerusalem,  they  could  not  have  made  the  journey  in  one  afternoon. 

18.  Art  thou  only  a  stranger  in  Jerusalem;  i.e.,  of  the  many 
strangers  who  have  just  been  at  Jerusalem  for  the  Paschal  cele- 
bration, are  you  the  only  one  that  is  unaware  of  the  events  that  have 
taken  place  there? 

19.  Concerning  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  etc.  It  is  uncertain  whether 
these  disciples  really  believed  in  the  Divinity  of  our  Lord,  or  whether 
they  regarded  Him  only  as  a  great  prophet. 

21.  But  we  hoped;  i.e.,  "  we  were  hoping"  (i^Xxif o/zei') ,  —  as  if 
now  they  had  given  up  hope. 

And  now  besides  all  this,  etc. ;  i.e..  besides  all  the  disgraceful 
events  which  had  taken  place  during  the  Passion  and  at  the  death 
of  Christ,  there  was  this  further  embarrassment  that  the  day  had 
arrived  on  which  He  had  said  He  would  rise  from  the  dead,  and 
yet,  so  far  as  these  two  disciples  knew.  He  had  not  risen. 

22.  See  on  Matthew  xxviii.  i. 

24.  And  some  of  our  people,  etc.    In  verse  12  above  St.  Luke 


ST.  LUKE  XXIV,  25-30  395 

25,  Then  he  said  to  them :  O  foolish,  and  slow  of  heart  to  beheve  in  all 
things  which  the  prophets  have  spoken. 

26.  Ought  not  Christ  to  have  suffered  these  things,  and  so  to  enter  into  his 
glory  ? 

2"].  And  beginning  at  Moses  and  all  the  prophets,  he  expounded  to  them  in 
all  the  scriptures,  the  things  that  were  concerning  him. 

28.  And  they  drew  nigh  to  the  town,  whither  they  were  going :  and  he  made 
as  though  he  would  go  f arth  :r. 

29.  But  they  constrained  him ;  saying :  Stay  with  us,  because  it  is  towards 
evening,  and  the  day  is  now  far  spent.    And  he  went  in  with  them. 

30.  And  it  came  to  pass,  whilst  he  was  at  table  with  them,  he  took  bread, 
and  blessed,  and  brake,  and  gave  to  them. 

spoke  as  if  only  Peter  had  gone  to  the  tomb,  but  here  he  supposes 
that  Peter  was  not  alone,  or  the  only  one  to  go  there.  The  Evan- 
gelist's first  statement  in  verse  12  is,  therefore,  incomplete.  See 
John  XX.  3-10. 

25,  26.  The  Saviour  now  upbraids  the  two  disciples  for  not  hav- 
ing rightly  understood  the  prophecies  concerning  the  Christ,  ac- 
cording to  which  it  was  necessary  that  He  should  suffer  and  be  put 
to  death,  and  thus  enter  into  His  glory. 

2y.  Beginning  from  Moses,  etc.  The  Saviour  now  expounded 
to  the  two  disciples  the  meaning  of  all  the  prophecies  which  had 
been  uttered  regarding  the  Messiah. 

29.  Stay  with  us,  etc.  It  is  commonly  believed  that  Cleophas, 
one  of  the  two  disciples,  had  his  home  at  Emmaus,  and  that  it  was 
there  they  entertained  our  Lord. 

30.  He  took  bread  and  blessed  and  brake,  etc.  Commentators 
disagree  as  to  whether  our  Lord  celebrated  the  Holy  Eucharist 
with  the  two  disciples.  St.  Augustine,  St.  Jerome,  and  others 
hold  that  He  did,  which  seems  more  probable  for  the  follow- 
ing reasons:  (a)  the  words  used  regarding  that  occasion  were 
the  same  as  those  used  relative  to  the  institution  of  the  Holy 
Eucharist.  Cf.  Matthew  xxvi.  26.  (b)  The  effect  of  this 
breaking  of  bread  seemed  miraculous,  inasmuch  as  it  enabled 
the  disciples  to  recognize  our  Lord.  (c)  The  blessing  given 
on  that  occasion  was  not  at  the  beginning,  but  at  the  end  of 
the  supper,  which  shows  it  was  not  the  ordinary  blessing  given  at 
meals. 

Calmet,  Jansenius,  and  others  believed  our  Lord  did  not  celebrate 
the  Holy  Eucharist  with  the  disciples  at  this  time. 


396  ST.  LUKE  XXIV,  31-38 

31.  And  their  eyes  were  opened,  and  they  knew  him :  and  he  vanished  out 
of  their  sight. 

32.  And  they  said  one  to  the  other :  Was  not  our  heart  burning  within  us, 
whilst  he  spoke  in  the  way,  and  opened  to  us  the  scriptures? 

S3.  And  rising  up,  the  same  hour,  they  went  back  to  Jerusalem :  and  they 
found  the  eleven  gathered  together,  and  those  that  were  with  them, 

34.  Saying :  The  Lord  is  risen  indeed,  and  hath  appeared  to  Simon. 

35.  And  they  told  what  things  were  done  in  the  way ;  and  how  they  knew 
him  in  the  breaking  of  bread. 

36.  Now  whilst  they  were  speaking  these  things,  Jesus  stood  in  the  midst  of 
them,  and  saith  to  them :  Peace  be  to  you ;  it  is  I,  fear  not. 

37.  But  they  being  troubled  and  frighted,  supposed  that  they  saw  a  spirit. 

38.  And  he  said  to  them :  Why  are  you  troubled,  and  why  do  thoughts  arise 
in  your  hearts? 


31.  He  vanished,  thereby  showing  the  quaHties  of  His  glorified 
body  which  could  become  visible  and  invisible  at  will. 

32.  Was  not  our  heart  burning  within  us.  By  these  words  the 
disciples  seemed  to  express  the  unusual,  ardent  effect  on  their 
hearts  of  the  exposition  of  the  Scriptures  which  the  Saviour  had 
given  them. 

33.  And  they  found  the  eleven.  St.  John  (xx.  24)  tells  us  that 
Thomas  was  not  present  on  this  occasion,  but  this  does  not  con- 
tradict St.  Luke,  because  the  latter  spoke  of  the  Apostles  as  a  group, 
and  the  term  "  eleven  "  was  commonly  used  in  speaking  of  the 
group. 

34.  Appeared  to  Simon.  St.  Paul  (i  Cor.  xv.  5)  cites  this  ap- 
parition to  Simon  as  the  first  of  all,  but  we  know  nothing  further 
about  it.  It  seems  that  the  first  two  apparitions  of  our  Lord  after 
His  Resurrection  were  to  Mary,  the  sinner,  and  to  Simon  the  rene- 
gade. The  present  verse  of  St.  Luke  seems  to  be  contradicted  by 
St.  Mark  (xvi.  13)  ;  but  see  on  Mark  xvi.  13.  The  Apostles 
(Mark  xvi.  13)  did  not  doubt  that  our  Lord  had  risen,  but  only 
that  He  had  appeared  to  the  two  disciples. 

36.  Jesus  stood  in  the  midst  of  them.  Again  our  Lord  mani- 
fests the  subtlety  of  His  glorified  body  by  which  He  was  able  to 
enter  the  room,  "  the  doors  being  closed  "  (John  xx.  19). 

Peace  be  to  you  was  an  ordinary  mode  of  salutation  among  the 
Jews. 

38.  Why  do  thoughts  arise,  etc. ;  i.e.,  why  do  you  doubt ;  our 
Lord  read  the  secret  doubts  of  the  hearts  of  the  Apostles. 


ST.  LUKE  XXIV,  39-48  397 

39.  See  my  hands  and  feet,  that  it  is  I  myself;  handle,  and  see:  for  a  spirit 
hath  not  flesh  and  bones,  as  you  see  me  to  have. 

40.  And  when  he  had  said  this,  he  shewed  them  his  hands  and  feet. 

41.  But  while  they  yet  believed  not,  and  wondered  for  joy,  he  said  :  Have 
you  here  any  thing  to  eat? 

42.  And  they  offered  him  a  piece  of  a  broiled  fish,  and  a  honeycomb. 

43.  And  when  he  had  eaten  before  them,  taking  the  remains,  he  gave  to 
them. 

44.  And  he  said  to  them :  These  are  the  words  which  I  spoke  to  you,  while 
I  was  yet  with  you,  that  all  things  must  needs  be  fulfilled,  which  are  written  in 
the  law  of  Moses,  and  in  the  prophets,  and  in  the  psalms,  concerning  me. 

45.  Then  he  opened  their  understanding,  that  they  might  understand  the 
scriptures. 

46.  And  he  said  to  them :  Thus  it  is  written,  and  thus  it  behoved  Christ  to 
sufifer,  and  to  rise  again  from  the  dead,  the  third  day : 

47.  And  that  penance  and  remission  of  sins  should  be  preached  in  his  name, 
unto  all  nations,  beginning  at  Jerusalem. 

48.  And  you  are  witnesses  of  these  things. 

39-43.  To  prove  the  reality  of  His  risen  body  our  Lord  next 
offered  to  the  disciples  His  hands  and  feet  to  be  touched ;  He  also 
ate  with  them.  Our  Lord  did  not  eat  because  of  any  need  vi^hich 
He  felt ;  neither  was  the  food  which  He  took  digested  and  assimi- 
lated by  His  risen  body.  It  was  taken  into  His  stomach,  but  in 
some  way  disposed  of  by  the  divine  Power, 

Taking  the  remains,  etc.  These  words  are  wanting  in  some 
MSS. 

44.  These  are  the  words  which  I  spoke  to  you,  etc. ;  i.e.,  "  This 
is  what  I  meant  when  I  said  that  all  the  prophecies  concerning  me 
must  have  their  fulfillment." 

St.  Luke  makes  no  mention  of  the  apparitions  of  our  Lord  in 
Galilee,  but  commentators  see  in  this  and  in  the  following  verse 
a  trace  of  the  instructions  which  Jesus  gave  to  the  Apostles  in 
Galilee,  or  somewhere  else.  Thus  we  must  admit  that  there  is 
here  an  omission  in  St.  Luke  regarding  the  going  of  the  Apostles 
to  Galilee.  From  Luke  alone,  it  would  appear  that  the  Apostles 
did  not  quit  Jerusalem  between  the  Resurrection  and  the  Ascension, 
which  we  know  from  the  other  Evangelists  was  not  so.  St.  Luke 
was  evidently  following  the  documents  he  had  before  him,  which 
seemed  to  have  dealt  only  with  our  Lord's  appearances  in  Jeru- 
salem. Verse  46  seems  to  be  the  beginning  of  our  Lord's  final 
discourse  in  Jerusalem  before  the  .A.scension. 

45-48.    Our   Lord  by   His  grace  illuminated   the  minds  of  the 


398  ST.  LUKE  XXIV,  49-53 

49.  And  I  send  the  promise  of  my  Father  upon  3  ou :  but  stay  you  in  the 
city,  till  you  be  endued  with  power  from  on  high. 

50.  And  he  led  them  out  as  far  as  Bethania :  and  lifting  up  his  hands,  he 
blessed  them. 

51.  And  it  came  to  pass,  whilst  he  blessed  them,  he  departed  from  them,  and 
was  carried  up  to  heaven. 

52.  And  they  adoring  went  back  into  Jerusalem  with  great  joy. 

53.  And  they  were  always  in  the  temple,  praising  and  blessing  God.    Amen. 

disciples  that  they  might  understand  the  meaning  of  all  the  prophe- 
cies which  had  been  spoken  and  written  concerning  the  Messiah  — 
how  it  was  necessary  that  He  should  suffer,  and  die,  and  the  third 
day  rise  again,  for  the  salvation  of  the  human  race.  Had  He  not 
done  so,  the  penance  which  men  needed  would  not  have  been  fruitful 
unto  the  remission  of  their  sins.  But  now  that  the  prophecies  had 
been  fulfilled,  He  tells  the  Apostles  that  they  must  begin  to  preach 
first  at  Jerusalem,  in  order  that  salvation  might  first  be  offered  to 
the  Jews,  and  then  to  the  Gentiles  and  to  the  entire  world. 

49.  But  stay  you  in  the  city;  i.e.,  the  disciples  were  not  to  depart 
at  once  after  the  Ascension,  but  were  to  remain  in  Jerusalem  until 
the  day  of  Pentecost,  when  the  Holy  Ghost  would  come  down  upon 
them  and  clothe  them  with  authority  and  strength  as  with  a  garment. 

50,  51.  And  he  led  them  as  far  as  Bethania.  Bethany  was  about 
two  miles  from  Jerusalem  at  the  eastern  foot  of  Mt.  Olivet.  As 
the  Mount  of  Olives  had  been  the  scene  of  our  Lord's  suffering,  so 
now  it  was  to  witness  His  triumphal  Ascension  into  Heaven. 

It  is  surprising  that  only  St.  Mark  and  St.  Luke  speak  of  the 
Ascension  of  our  Lord,  and  this  very  briefly.  In  the  Book  of  the 
Acts  St.  Luke  has  a  more  detailed  account  of  the  great  event.  But 
if  St.  Matthew  and  St.  John  make  no  explicit  mention  of  it,  this  is 
because  it  is  presupposed  in  their  writings,  and  because  they  re- 
garded it  as  the  natural  outcome  and  climax  of  the  Resurrection. 
Jesus  could  not  die  any  more,  He  had  passed  from  their  midst  only 
to  enter  into  His  glory. 

53.  And  they  were  always  in  the  temple,  etc.  These  words  may 
refer  to  the  practice  of  the  Apostles  during  the  days  between  the 
Ascension  and  Pentecost,  but  they  more  probably  relate  to  the 
preaching  of  the  Apostles  in  the  Temple  after  the  coming  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  (Acts  ii.  46;  v.  21  and  42).  because  during  the  days 
between   Ascension    and    Pentecost   the   Apostles   and   the    Blessed 


ST.  LUKE  XXIV,  53  399 

Virgin  were  persevering  in  prayer  in  the   Upper  Room    (Acts  i. 

13,  14)- 

It  is  to  be  noted  that  St.  Luke  speaks  very  summarily  in  this 
chapter  of  the  events  that  took  place  between  the  Resurrection  and 
the  Ascension  of  our  Lord ;  he  has  left  us  a  more  elaborate  and 
detailed  account  of  these  events  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  From 
reading  this  chapter  alone  one  might  get  the  impression  that  all 
herein  narrated  took  place  on  the  very  same  day,  the  day  of  the 
Resurrection,  but  this  the  Evangelist  never  meant  to  convey,  as  is 
clear  from  his  other  work,  and  from  the  Gospels  of  Matthew  and 
Mark,  a  knowledge  of  which  he  presupposes.  We  must  conclude, 
therefore,  as  said  before,  that  verses  46-49  here  were  spoken  shortly 
before  the  Ascension,  since  the  promised  Spirit  was  to  descend  upon 
the  disciples  "  not  many  days  after." 


THE   GOSPEL  ACCORDING  TO 

ST.  JOHN 


INTRODUCTION 

I.  St.  John.  St.  John,  the  fourth  Evangehst,  was  born  in  Gahlee 
near  the  Lake  of  Genesareth.  He  was  the  son  of  Zebedee  and 
Salome,  and  the  brother  of  James  the  Greater,  the  Apostle  of  Spain. 
St.  John  followed  the  calling  of  his  father,  which  was  that  of  a 
fisherman,  until  the  appearance  of  John  the  Baptist,  when  he  be- 
came a  disciple  of  the  latter.  John  was  later  sent  by  his  master, 
the  Baptist,  to  Jesus  (John  i.  35  fif.)  ;  and  not  long  after  this  meet- 
ing with  the  Saviour  at  the  Jordan,  John  and  his  brother  James 
returned  to  Galilee  to  resume  their  work  as  fishermen.  Soon,  how- 
ever, they  were  called  to  be  the  constant  companions  of  our  Lord 
(Mark  i.  19,  20).  St.  John  was  known  as  the  "disciple  whom 
Jesus  loved"  (John  xiii.  23),  and  together  with  his  brother  and 
St.  Peter  was  especially  favored  by  our  Lord  at  the  Transfiguration 
on  Thabor,  at  the  Last  Supper,  during  the  Agony  in  Gethsemani, 
and  on  Calvary  ( Mark  ix.  i  ;  xiv.  33 ;  and  John  xiii.  23 ;  xxi.  20 ; 
xix.  26).  To  St.  John  at  our  Lord's  death  was  committed  the 
charge  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  (John  xix.  27).  After  the  Ascen- 
sion, he  remained  at  Jerusalem,  strenuously  assisting  St.  Peter  in 
the  establishment  of  the  Church  there  (Gal.  ii.  9).  About  a.d.  51 
he  left  Jerusalem  for  Asia  Minor,  and  we  next  hear  of  him  as 
Bishop  of  Ephesus.  Later,  during  the  reign  of  Domitian,  as  Ter- 
tullian,  St.  Jerome,  and  others  tell  us,  John  was  taken  to  Rome  and 
put  into  a  cauldron  of  burning  oil,  from  which,  however,  he  came 
forth  uninjured.  He  was  then  banished  to  the  island  of  Patmos, 
but  after  the  death  of  Domitian  was  allowed  to  return  to  Ephesus, 
where  he  died  at  the  age  of  about  100. 

n.    Time  and  Place  of  Writing.    Tradition  is  quite  unanimous 


INTRODUCTION  TO  ST.  JOHN  401 

in  asserting  that  St.  John  wrote  his  Gospel  at  Ephesus  shortly  be- 
fore his  death,  perhaps  around  the  year  98.  St.  Irenaeiis  {Adv. 
Haer.  iii.  3)  expressly  says  that  the  Fourth  Gospel  was  published 
while  St.  John  was  at  Ephesus.  It  is,  indeed,  clear  from  the  con- 
tents of  the  Gospel  that  it  was  written  to  answer  a  later  develop- 
ment of  Christian  life,  than  that  for  which  the  other  Gospels  were 
composed.  The  Gospel  contains  a  reference  to  the  crucifixion  of 
St.  Peter  (xxi.  18),  which  shows  it  was  written  sometime  after 
A.D.  67;  and  whenever  the  Evangelist  speaks  of  places  in  or  about 
Jerusalem  he  uses  the  past  tense  (xi.  18;  xviii.  i  ;  xix.  41),  which 
indicates  that  Jerusalem  was  already  destroyed  when  he  wrote. 
Hence  the  year  70  was  past.  Furthermore,  the  manner  in  which  the 
Evangelist  speaks  of  the  opponents  of  Christianity  (ot  'lovSStoi) 
shows  that  the  Jews  as  a  people  were  hardly  known  except  as  ene- 
mies, and  that  the  Gentiles  were  in  the  majority  in  the  Christian 
Church  (xi.  19,  55;  xiii.  33;  xviii.  20,  36).  Again,  Cerinthus,  the 
Nicolaites,  and  the  Ebionites,  against  whom  the  Fourth  Gospel  was 
written,  did  not  appear  till  towards  the  end  of  the  first  century. 

III.  Purpose,  Motive,  and  Characteristics.  St.  John  himself 
tells  us  the  object  which  he  had  in  view  in  writing  his  Gospel,  — 
"  Many  other  signs  also  did  Jesus  in  the  sight  of  his  disciples  which 
are  not  written  in  this  book ;  but  these  are  written,  that  you  may 
believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  and  that  believing 
you  may  have  Hfe  in  his  name'"  (xx,  30,  31).  The  primary  ob- 
ject, therefore,  of  the  Fourth  Gospel  is  clearly  to  establish  the 
Divinity  of  Christ  and  His  divine  mission  as  Messiah. 

But  another  purpose  which  the  Evangelist  also  had  in  view,  and 
which  is  directly  connected  with  the  first,  was  to  combat  certain 
heresies  which  had  arisen  in  the  Church.  We  know  from  St. 
Irenaeus  {Adv.  Haer.  iii.  11),  and  St.  Jerome  {Prol.  in  Matthezv), 
and  others  that  certain  errors  concerning  our  Lord's  Divinity  and 
humanity  had  arisen  toward  the  end  of  the  second  century  in  Asia 
Minor,  especially  those  of  Cerinthus,  the  Ebionites,  and  the  Nico- 
laites. Hence  it  cannot  be  doubted  that  St.  John  who  had  been 
in  particular  requested  by  the  Bishops  and  leaders  of  the  Asiatic 
Church  to  write  his  Gospel  (Murat.  Frag.),  had  also  in  mind  to 
refute  the  doctrines  which  were  making  a  rent  in  the  seamless 
garment  of  the  Church.     It  is  likewise  certain  that  St.  John  had 


402  INTRODUCTION  TO   ST.  JOHN 

a  still  further  purpose  in  writing,  which  was  to  supplement  the 
Synoptics.  He  omits  most  of  the  things  recorded  by  the  other 
Evangelists,  and  adds  many  events  connected  with  our  Lord's  life 
which  they  had  not  recounted.  His  Gospel  presupposes  the  other 
three  (i.  15,  32;  iii.  24;  xviii.  33,  etc.). 

St.  John's  Gospel  has  always  been  known  as  the  divine  or  spirit- 
ual Gospel.  The  Synoptists  are  concerned  for  the  most  part  with 
the  human  side  of  our  Lord's  life,  whereas  St.  John  is  absorbed 
with  the  spiritual  and  divine  features  of  the  life  of  the  Saviour. 
The  Synoptists  give  us  our  Lord's  labors  in  Galilee,  St.  John  treats 
of  those  things  which  were  done  in  Judea,  especially  around  Jeru- 
salem. The  Synoptists  have  recorded  many  parables  of  our  Lord, 
St.  John  has  given  us  none;  St.  John  records  only  two  miracles 
which  are  common  to  the  Synoptists  (vi.  5  and  19),  but  he  gives 
us  four  others  which  the  Synoptists  do  not  relate;  namely, —  (a) 
the  changing  of  water  into  wine,  (b)  the  healing  of  the  impotent 
man,  (c)  the  cure  of  the  man  born  blind,  (d)  the  raising  of 
Lazarus. 

IV.  Authenticity.  That  the  Fourth  Gospel  was  written  by  St. 
John,  the  Apostle,  has  been  the  almost  unanimous  teaching  of  tradi- 
tion. With  the  sole  exception  of  a  few  obscure  heretics  of  the 
second  century,  known  as  the  Alogi,  the  authorship  of  this  Gospel 
remained  unquestioned  down  to  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
Since  that  time,  however,  it  has  been  frequently  attacked  by  Ra- 
tionalists. Some  of  these,  like  Weisse,  have  held  that  portions  of 
the  Gospel  are  the  work  of  St.  John,  or  at  least  of  the  disciples 
of  the  Apostle,  who  put  to  writing  what  they  had  learned  from  him. 
Renan  goes  further  and  denies  that  the  Gospel  has  any  connection 
with  St.  John,  except  in  so  far  as  its  historical  portions  represent 
traditions  reaching  back  to  the  Apostle's  time.  A  third  class  deny 
to  the  Gospel  all  historical  value,  and  attribute  its  composition  to  the 
second  half  of  the  second  century.  But  against  these  theories  both 
external  and  internal  evidence  unite  to  show  that  the  Fourth  Gospel 
was  written  before  the  end  of  the  first  century,  and  that  the  author 
was  St.  John,  the  Apostle. 

External  evidence.  In  the  first  place  there  is  the  unwavering 
teaching  of  the  Church  and  tradition  to  which  none,  except  the 
Alogi,  ever  objected  till  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  century.     And 


INTRODUCTION    TO   ST.  JOHN  403 

even  the  Alogi,  who  Hved  in  the  second  century  and  who  rejected 
the  Gospel,  not  on  historical,  but  on  dogmatic  grounds,  did  not 
regard  it  as  of  a  later  date  than  the  first  century,  but  on  the  con- 
trary ascribed  it  to  Cerinthus,  a  contemporary  of  St.  John.  The 
great  majority  of  the  most  extreme  of  modern  critics  hold  that  the 
Gospel  was  written  before  a.d.  125,  and  Harnack  says  its  date  is 
between  the  appearance  of  the  Synoptics  and  a.d.  iio.  Loisy  puts 
it  at  about  a.d.  100;  E.  A.  Abbott,  earlier  than  a.d.  108.  Dr.  San- 
day,  Zahn,  Wernle,  Loisy,  and  others  tell  us  that  the  letters  of 
St.  Ignatius,  which  date  from  a.d.  110-115,  bear  unmistakable  fa- 
miliarity with  the  ideas  and  writings  of  the  Fourtn  Gospel,  showing 
that  the  Gospel  had  been  in  existence  some  time  before  the  year 
no.  Quotations  from  this  Gospel  are  found  in  the  works  of  Poly- 
carp,  who  was  a  disciple  of  St.  John,  and  also  in  the  works  of 
Papias,  a  contemporary  of  Polycarp.  St.  Irenaeus  (Adv.  Haer. 
iii.  t),  a  disciple  of  Polycarp,  expressly  says  that  St.  John  published 
the  Gospel  ascribed  to  him  during  his  residence  at  Ephesus.  St. 
Clement  of  Alexandria  (A pud  Euseb.  vi.  4)  tells  us  that  he  gath- 
ered "  from  the  elders  of  old  "  that  John,  unlike  the  other  Evange- 
lists, composed  at  the  request  of  friends  and  with  the  assistance 
of  the  Spirit,  a  spiritual  Gospel.  In  fact  Clement,  Tertullian,  Ire- 
naeus, and  Eusebius  speak  of  the  Fourth  Gospel  as  universally 
received  and  recognized  as  St.  John's.  Much  more  external  evi- 
dence might  be  adduced  in  favor  of  the  Johannine  authorship  of 
the  Gospel,  but  the  above  seems  to  us  sufficient  to  convince  any 
reasonable  person. 

Internal  evidence.  Although  the  author  of  the  Fourth  Gospel 
nowhere  gives  his  name,  still  he  describes  himself  as  an  eye-witness 
(i-  ^4,  35;  -^ix-  35;  xxi.  24),  and  as  our  Lord's  beloved  and  highly 
favored  disciple  (xiii.  23;  xix.  26;  xx.  2).  Now  we  know  that  the 
disciples  especially  favored  by  our  Lord  were  Peter,  James,  and 
John.  But  the  reference  in  the  passages  above  cited  could  not  have 
been  to  Peter,  as  is  evident  from  John  xiii.  24;  xxi.  21;  nor  to 
James,  because  James  the  Greater  was  the  first  of  the  Apostles  to 
be  put  to  death  (Acts  xii.  2),  whereas  the  beloved  disciple  in  ques- 
tion was  very  old  (John  xxi.  23).  It  is  evident,  moreover,  from 
the  Gospel  itself  that  its  author  was:  (a)  a  Jew  thoroughly  familiar 
with  Palestine;   (b)   an  eye-witness  of  the  events  he  records;  (c) 


404  INTRODUCTION  TO  ST.  JOHN 

an  Apostle,  who  was  John,  the  son  of  Zebedee.  That  he  was  a 
Jew,  famihar  with  the  Old  Testament  and  with  Jewish  customs, 
modes  of  thought,  etc.,  is  clear  from  i.  45;  ii.  17;  iii.  14;  v.  39,  46; 
vi.  45;  viii.  17;  X.  34;  xii.  14,  15,  38;  ii.  6;  iv.  9,  20,  2.']  \  etc.  The 
author  is  no  stranger  unacquainted  with  the  topography  of  Pales- 
tine, as  we  can  see  from  i.  28;  ii.  12;  iii.  23;  iv.  6,  11,  20,  35,  47,  49; 
vi.  19,  23 ;  xi.  18,  54.  He  actually  witnessed  the  events  he  has  re- 
corded,—  vi.  9;  xviii.  10,  15,  26;  xix.  23;  etc.  And  if  he  was  not 
an  Apostle,  how  explain  i.  37  if. ;  iv.  27 ;  vi.  5-9,  69-72 ;  xi.  4 ;  xiii ; 
xiv-xvi ;  etc.  ?  Finally,  that  the  author  of  the  Fourth  Gospel  was 
John  the  son  of  Zebedee  is  also  indirectly,  at  least,  evident  from 
the  Gospel.  While  John  and  his  brother  James  are  not  named  in 
this  Gospel,  they  are  frequently  spoken  of  in  the  Synoptics,  and  are 
there  placed  among  the  three  most  favored  Apostles,  They  were 
present  with  Peter  at  the  raising  of  Jairus'  daughter,  at  the  Trans- 
figuration, and  in  Gethsemani.  John  was  regarded  by  St.  Panl  as 
one  of  the  "  pillars  "  of  the  Church  (Gal.  ii.  9;  Acts  i.  13;  iv.  19; 
viii.  14)  ;  and  by  the  infant  Church  generally  he  was  put  next  to 
Peter.  From  all  this  it  seems  beyond  doubt  that,  had  any  other 
than  John  himself  been  author  of  the  Fourth  Gospel,  he  certainly 
would  not  have  failed  to  mention  by  name  such  an  illustrious 
Apostle;  that  is,  such  a  conspicuous  and  highly  favored  disciple  of 
our  Lord  could  never  have  passed  unnamed  in  the  Fourth  Gospel, 
except  in  the  supposition  that  this  Gospel  was  written  by  himself. 

V.  Historical  character.  From  what  has  just  been  said  it  would 
seem  beyond  question,  not  only  that  the  Fourth  Gospel  was  written 
by  St.  John,  the  Apostle,  but  also  that  the  Gospel  is  a  true  record 
of  real  events  in  the  Hfe  of  Christ.  And  yet  there  are  many  critics 
of  recent  times  who  contend  that  the  facts  narrated  in  the  Fourth 
Gospel  are  wholly  or  partly  symbolical  or  allegorical  compositions 
not  of  Christ,  but  of  the  Evangelist  himself.  The  author,  there- 
fore, they  say,  has  given  us  an  account,  not  of  what  our  Lord  actu- 
ally said  and  did;  but  of  what  he,  the  Evangelist,  thought  of  the 
words  and  deeds  of  the  Saviour  many  years  afterwards.  The  dis- 
courses and  incidents,  then,  of  the  Fourth  Gospel,  in  this  opinion, 
are  entirely,  or  at  least  partly,  the  work  of  the  Evangelist, 

Against  such  an  erroneous  opinion  it  must  first  be  observed  that 
the  Gospel  itself  pretends  to  be  a  record  of  fact  (xx.  30,  31),  and 


INTRODUCTION   TO  ST.  JOHN  405 

secondly  that  it  actually  gives  us  many  events  which,  from  the 
Synoptics,  we  know  are  historical;  for  example,  in  i.  19-34;  ii.  13- 
16;  vi.  1-13;  16-21;  xii.  1-8;  12-16.  Since  the  very  same  events 
narrated  in  the  passages  here  cited  are  related  by  the  Synoptics 
and  are  there  regarded  as  historical,  why  should  thev  not  be  so 
regarded  in  St.  John?  And  with  respect  to  those  facts  which  are 
peculiar  to  the^Fourth  Gospel,  it  must  be  admitted  that  they  are 
so  graphically  and  accurately  related  by  the  author,  with  the  utmost 
regard  for  minute  details,  that  no  one  who  has  any  knowledge  of 
the  laws  of  criticism  ought  to  call  them  into  question.  See,  e.g.. 
iii.  2;  iv.  5,  6;  V.  2;  ix.  7:  etc. 

Those  who  pretend  to  find  difficulty  in  the  differences  between 
St.  John  and  the  Synoptists  are  not  warranted  in  their  conclusions 
agamst  the  historicity  of  the  account  of  the  former,  because  they 
do  not  allow  for  the  difference  in  character  and  scope  of  the  Synop- 
tists and  St.  John.  As  a  matter  of  fact  there  are  too  many  like- 
nesses between  the  Fourth  and  the  Synoptic  Gospels  to  permit  the 
denial  of  the  historic  character  of  the  one  without  at  the  same  time 
rejecting  that  of  the  others.  Besides  the  passages  above  indicated 
compare,  for  instance,  John  ii.  19  with  Matthew  xxvi.  61 ;  John  iv. 
44  with  Luke  iv.  24;  John  vi.  20  with  Mark  vi.  50;  John  xii.  8  with 
Mark  XIV.  7;  John  xii.  25  with  Mark  viii.  35. 

VI.  Division  of  the  Gospel.    The  Fourth  Gospel  has  three  gen- 
eral parts,  besides  a  prologue  and  an  epilogue. 

In  the  prologue  (i.  1-18)  the  Evangelist  briefly  exposes  the  doc- 
trine concerning  the  Incarnate  Word. 

In  the  first  part  (i.  19-xii.  50)  we  have  narrated  the  manifesta- 
tion of  the  Divinity  and  glory  of  Jesus  during  His  public  life 

In  the  second  part  (xiii.  i-xix.  42)  the  Evangelist  gives  an  ac- 
count of  the  Passion  of  our  Lord. 

In  the  third  part  (xx.  i-xxi.  22,)  are  recorded  the  Resurrection 
and  certain  apparitions  of  the  Saviour. 

In  the  epilogue  (xxi.  24,  25)  it  is  said  that  Jesus  did  many  other 
things  which  are  not  recorded  in  this  book. 


The  Gospel  according  to  St.  John 
CHAPTER  I 

The  Divinity  of  the  Word,  1-5, 

The  Mission  of  John  the  Baptist,  6-13. 

The  Incarnation  of  the  Word,  14-18, 

Two  Testimonies  of  the  Baptist  to  Christ,  19-34. 

The  First  Five  Disciples  of  Christ,  35-51. 

I.  In  the  beginning  was  the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  the 
Word  was  God. 

I.  In  the  beginning;  i.e.,  at  the  dawn  of  creation,  when  time 
began,  when  all  created  things  began  to  be,  the  Word  was  already 
in  existence,  —  from  which  it  follows  that  the  Word  had  no  be- 
ginning, and  consequently  was  eternal. 

Was.  The  imperfect  tense  (^v)  is  here  used  to  signify  continu- 
ous existence;  had  the  perfect  tense  been  used  a  cessation  of  ex- 
istence, following  upon  the  beginning  of  created  things,  would  be 
implied. 

The  Word  (6  X670S) ,  means  here  the  Second  Person  of  the  Blessed 
Trinity,  as  is  evident  from  verse  14,  where  it  is  said,  "  the  Word 
was  made  flesh."  It  is  only  St.  John  who  makes  use  of  the  term 
X670S,  Word,  to  signify  a  person ;  and  this  he  does  not  only  in  his 
Gospel,  but  in  his  First  Epistle  (i.  i)  and  in  the  Apocalypse  (xix. 
13).  In  other  parts  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments  the  term,  \6yos, 
usually  means  speech,  tvord. 

It  is  a  grave  mistake,  however,  to  hold  as  some  do,  that  St.  John  got 
his  idea  of  the  Word  or  the  term  Logos  other  than  from  BibUcal  or 
divine  sources.  First  of  all  the  name  Logos  is  not  uncommon  to 
the  language  of  the  Old  Testament.  The  sacred  writers  often 
speak  of  a  divine  envoy,  Maleach,  who  was  to  be  the  final  Mediator 
(cf.  Gen.  xvi.  7,  13;  Exod.  xxiii.  20;  Osee  xii.  4,  5;  Zach.  xii.  10). 
They  ^-^ersonify  divine  Wisdom,  with  which  the  Memra,  or  Word 


ST.  JOHN  I,  2,  3  407 

2.  The  same  was  in  the  beginning  with  God. 

3.  All  things  were  made  by  him  :  and  without  him  was  made  nothing  that 
was  made. 

of  the  Eternal,  is  eminently  endowed,  and  make  both  divine  Wisdom 
and  the  Word  special  agents  of  divine  activity  in  the  work  of  crea- 
tion and  in  the  world  (Prov.  viii ;  Ps.  cvi.  20;  cix.  i  ;  Isa.  Iv.  11). 

It  was  natural,  therefore,  that  St.  John,  in  characterizing  the 
Messianic  action  of  Jesus,  should  identify  the  Christ  with  the  Angel 
of  the  Covenant,  the  Wisdom  and  the  Word  of  Jehovah,  since  these 
are  the  personal  and  external  manifestation  of  God.  Perhaps  also 
St.  John  was  moved  by  divine  inspiration  to  make  use  of  the  term 
Logos  in  speaking  of  the  Second  Divine  Person,  in  order  to  refute 
many  of  the  heretics  of  His  time  who  had  abused  the  term  in  ex- 
pressing their  own  errors.     Cf.  Le  Camus,  Life  of  Christ,  vol.  i. 

P-  139- 

The  Word  was  with  God;  i.e.,  this  Second  Divine  Person  ex- 
isted from  eternity  with  God  the  Father,  one  with  the  Father  in 
nature,  but  distinct  from  Him  in  person. 

The  Word  was  God,  Kal  Geos  fjv  6  \6yos.  This  clause  expresses 
the  essence  or  the  nature  of  the  Word.  The  use  of  the  article  6 
before  X670S  shows  that  \6yos,  and  not  9e6j,  is  the  subject  of  the 
clause.  The  identity,  therefore,  of  the  nature  of  the  Word  with 
the  nature  or  essence  of  the  Godhead  is  here  distinctly  declared. 
It  is  absurd  for  the  Arians  to  say  that  the  use  of  Geos  here  without 
the  article  means  a  being  with  a  nature  inferior  to  the  Supreme 
Being. 

2.  This  verse  is  but  a  recapitulation  of  the  first  verse. 

3.  All  things  were  made  by  him,  —  literally,  through  him.  The 
Evangelist  now  passes  on  to  a  consideration  of  the  relations  of  the 
Word  towards  created  things;  and  he  shows  that  all  things  that 
have  had  a  beginning  have  come  into  being  by  or  through  the  Logos. 
The  Arians  maintained  that  since  creation  was  through  the  Word, 
the  Son  was  therefore  inferior  to  the  Father,  forgetful  of  the  fact 
that,  as  the  essence  and  nature  of  the  Father  and  the  Son  are  one, 
the  action  of  the  one  must  be  the  action  of  the  other.  The  Father 
and  the  Son  are  inseparable  in  the  creative  act,  precisely  because 
they  are  one  in  nature. 

Was  made  nothing  that  was  made.    While  this  is  the  usual 


4o8  ST.  JOHN  I,  4-8 

4.  In  him  was  life,  and  the  life  was  the  light  of  men. 

5.  And  the  light  shineth  in  darkness,  and  the  darkness  did  not  compre- 
hend it. 

6.  There  was  a  man  sent  from  God,  whose  name  was  John. 

7.  This  man  came  for  a  witness,  to  give  testimony  of  the  light,  that  all  men 
might  believe  through  him. 

8.  He  was  not  the  light,  but  was  to  give  testimony  of  the  light. 

punctuation  of  these  words,  there  is  equal  authority  in  both  Latin 
and  Greek  for  putting  the  period  after  nothing,  and  writing  the 
remaining  words  with  the  following  verse  thus :  "  What  was  made 
in  him  was  life,"  —  meaning  that  living  creatures  were  made  to  live 
by  His  power.  In  him  means  by  him;  and  life  is  taken  passively, 
meaning  made  to  live,  vivified.    Cf.  Summa  Theol.  \\  qu.  18,  a.  4. 

4.  In  him  was  life;  i.e.,  in  Him,  as  in  its  cause,  was  that  super- 
natural life  which,  through  His  revelation  and  grace,  He  has  com- 
municated to  men.  The  life,  then,  here  spoken  of  was  supernatural, 
of  which  men  and  angels  only  are  capable. 

And  the  life  was  the  light  of  men;  i.e.,  this  Divine  Word  who 
was  the  source  of  all  supernatural  spiritual  life  was  also  the  source 
and  author  of  the  faith  which  men  have.  "  The  light  of  men  " 
means,  therefore,  their  faith ;  and  the  Word,  who  is  the  source  and 
author  of  faith,  is  the  cause  of  the  faith  which  men  possess. 

5.  And  the  light  shineth.  The  term  "  light  "  here  means  the 
Word,  and  this  Divine  Word  or  light  has  been  shining  on  men  from 
the  beginning,  enlightening  them  through  their  reason  and  through 
divine  revelation.  He  has  offered  the  light  to  men,  but  men  have 
been  free  to  accept  or  reject  it. 

The  darkness  signifies  the  moral  obscurity  to  which  unbelief  had 
reduced  man.    Sins  are  "  works  of  darkness  "  (Eph.  v.  11  ;  vi.  12). 

The  darkness  did  not  comprehend  it.  The  meaning  is  that  the 
majority  of  men  did  not  believe  in  God  whose  existence  and  at- 
tributes were  manifested  by  the  visible  things  of  the  world  from 
the  beginning;  nor  did  they  believe  the  revelation  which  God  gave 
them  through  Christ.  This  rejection  of  belief  in  God  and  His 
revelation  was  possible  only  because  men  were  free  agents. 

6-8.  There  was  a  man  sent  from  God,  etc.  The  Evangelist  now 
introduces  John  the  Baptist  and  his  mission,  for  two  reasons:  (a) 
as  a  witness  to  prove  that  our  Lord  was  the  Messiah;  (b)  to  show 
that  the  Baptist  himself  was  not  the  Christ,  as  some  erroneously 


ST.  JOHN  I,  9-11  409 

9.  That  was  the  true  light,  which  enlighteneth  every  man  that  conieth  into 
this  world. 

10.  He  was  in  the  world,  and  the  world  was  made  by  him,  and  the  world 
knew  him  not. 

11.  He  came  unto  his  own,  and  his  own  received  him  not. 

thought.  John's  mission  was  a  divine  one,  it  was  from  God,  but 
it  was  only  to  prepare  the  way  for  the  Messiah  and  to  give  testi- 
mony to  him. 

9.  That  was  the  true  light,  etc.  The  most  probable  Greek  con- 
struction of  this  verse  is  that  which  connects  kpxonepov  {coming) 
with  avdpdiirov  {man),  which  gives  the  meaning  that  the  Word 
was  the  essential,  everlasting  light  which  enlighteneth,  so  far  as  He 
is  concerned,  every  man  born  of  women.  H  this  true  light  does 
not  enlighten  everyone,  it  is  because  men  are  free  to  prevent  it,  just 
as  they  are  free  to  conceal  themselves  from  the  light  of  the  sun 
shining  in  the  heavens.  The  Word,  therefore,  not  only  at  His  com- 
ing into  the  world,  at  His  Incarnation,  but  from  the  very  beginning, 
was  the  cause  and  source  of  the  faith  of  men ;  but  men,  of  course, 
as  free  agents,  were  and  are  able  to  reject  belief  in  God  and  in 
God's  revelation. 

ID.  He  was  in  the  world.  "  He,"  i.e.,  the  Word  was  in  the  world 
from  the  time  of  its  creation,  conserving  it  in  existence,  "  sustaining 
all  things  by  the  word  of  His  power  "  (Heb.  i.  3).  The  Word  was 
God,  and  God  is  everywhere  by  His  essence,  by  His  presence  and 
by  His  power.  Thus  nearly  all  the  Fathers  understand  the  refer- 
ence here  to  be  to  the  presence  of  the  Word  in  the  world,  as  God 
and  Creator,  before  the  Incarnation,  from  the  very  creation  of  the 
world.  Maldonatus,  however,  holds  that  there  is  reference  here 
only  to  the  presence  of  the  Word  in  the  world  during  His  mortal 
life. 

And  the  world  was  made  by  him,  etc.  Although  the  Word  was 
the  Creator  and  Conserver  of  the  world  from  the  beginning,  still 
the  majority  of  mankind  had  failed  to  recognize  Him,  transferring 
the  worship  due  Him  to  senseless  idols  (Rom.  i.  23). 

II.  He  came  unto  his  own,  etc.  All  the  Fathers  understand  this 
to  refer  to  the  Incarnation  of  the  Word.  By  His  Incarnation  the 
Word  came  into  His  own  world  which  He  had  created  and  con- 
served ;  and  in  particular  He  came  to  His  own  chosen  people,  the 


4IO  ST.  JOHN  I,  12-14 

12.  But  as  many  as  received  him,  he  gave  them  power  to  be  made  the  sons 
of  God,  to  them  that  believe  in  his  name. 

13.  Who  are  born,  not  of  blood,  nor  of  the  will  of  the  flesh,  nor  of  the  will 
of  man,  but  of  God. 

14.  And  the  Word  was  made  flesh,  and  dwelt  among  us,  (and  we  saw  his 
glory,  the  glory  as  it  were  of  the  only  begotten  of  the  Father,)  full  of  grace 
and  truth. 

Jews,  and  they  *'  received  him  not,"  they  would  not,  as  a  race,  believe 
in  Him,  but  on  the  contrary  rejected  Him. 

12.  To  all  who  did  believe  in  Him,  whether  Jew  or  Gentile,  the 
Eternal  Word  gave  the  power,  i.e.,  the  grace,  to  become  God's 
adopted  children.  The  faith  of  those  who  did  believe  in  Him  was 
the  effect  of  grace  and  a  necessary  condition  of  the  justification 
which  followed  and  which  made  them  sons  of  God.  Faith,  as  the 
Council  of  Trent  teaches  (Sess.  vi.  can.  vi,  viii)  is  the  root  of 
justification,  it  is  the  condition  sine  qua  non;  but  faith  is  neither 
the  formal,  nor  even  the  meritorious  cause  of  justification ;  men 
are  justified  by  charity  which  follows  upon  faith. 

13.  Who  are  born,  not  of  blood  .  .  .  but  of  God.  This  shows 
that  while  men,  and  the  will  of  men,  are  the  cause  of  carnal  genera- 
tion, it  is  only  God  who  can  be  the  cause  of  spiritual  generation 
through  faith  and  Baptism.  This  was  an  argument  against  the  Jews 
who  considered  themselves  just  because  they  had  Abraham  as  their 
father. 

14.  And  the  Word  was  made  flesh.  Some  think  this  clause 
should  be  introduced  by  for  instead  of  and,  in  which  case  the 
Evangelist  would  be  assigning  the  cause,  or  the  reason,  why  those 
who  received  the  Word  were  made  sons  of  God.  "  Flesh  "  may  be 
only  a  Hebraism  for  man,  or  it  may  have  been  used  intentionally 
against  the  Docetae  —  heretics  who  denied  that  Christ  had  taken 
flesh  because  they  considered  flesh  to  be  essentially  corrupt. 

Dv\relt;  i.e.,  took  up  a  transitory  abode  {eaKrjvcaaev)  on  earth 
among  men,  —  literally,  "  pitched  His  tent  or  tabernacle."  The 
Incarnation  of  the  Word  was  permanent,  but  His  visible  dwelling 
among  men  was  not  so. 

And  we  saw  his  glory.  St.  John  is  here  proclaiming  himself  to 
have  been  an  eye-witness  of  the  glory  of  the  Word, 

Glory  as  it  were,  etc. ;  i.e.,  such  glory  as  was  befitting  and  pos- 
sible only  to  the  Only-begotten  Son  of  the  Father. 


ST.  JOHN  I,  15-17  411 

15.  John  beareth  witness  of  him.  and  crieth  out,  saying:  This  was  he  of 
whom  I  spoke:  He  that  shall  come  after  me.  is  preferred  before  m  becLse 
he  was  before  me. 

16.  And  of  his  fulness  we  all  have  received,  and  grace  for  grace 

17.  For  the  law  was  given  by  Moses;  grace  and  truth  came  by  Jesus  Christ. 

Full  of  grace  and  truth.  These  words  are  to  be  joined  with  the 
first  part  of  the  verse,  so  as  to  read  as  follows:  "  And  the  Word  was 
made  flesh  and  dwelt  among  us,  full  of  grace  and  truth."  The 
clause,  "  and  we  saw  his  glory."  etc.,  is  parenthetic.  Our  Lord  was 
"full  of  grace"  in  the  strictest  and  widest  sense  of  the  term,  both 
as  God  and  as  man,  and  hence  He  was  an  overflowing  source  of 
sanctification  to  all  men.  He  was  "  full  of  truth  "  as  containing  all 
the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge  (Coloss.  ii.  3),  and  as  being 
the  all-wise  and  infallible  Teacher  of  faith  and  the  way  to  Heaven 

15.  This  was  he,  etc.  The  Evangelist  more  probably  is  here  giv- 
ing by  anticipation  what  he  describes  more  fully  in  verses  29  30 
He  is  citing  the  testimony  of  John  the  Baptist  relative  to  the'  In- 
carnation of  the  Word  "  full  of  grace  and  truth." 

He  that  shall  come  after  me,  etc.;  i.e..  He  that  shall  succeed 
me  in  the  exercise  of  His  public  ministry  "  is  preferred  before  me  " 
in  dignity,  "because  He  existed  before  me."  Our  Lord  being 
eternal  existed  before  John  the  Baptist,  and  was  superior  to  the 
Baptist  in  dignity,  and  preferred  before  him  in  the  designs  and 
counsels  of  the  Eternal  Father. 

16.  And  of  his  fullness  we  have  all  received.  These  are  the 
words  of  the  Evangelist  continuing  what  he  said  in  verse  14. 

Grace  for  grace.  This  is  explanatory  of  the  preceding  clause 
and  means,  according  to  the  more  probable  opinion  of  Patrizi  and 
others,  the  more  abundant  and  perfect  grace  of  the  New  Law  as 
compared  with  that  of  the  Old  Law.  The  opinion  also  seems  very 
probable  which  says  that  the  above  phrase  means  a  succession  of 
graces,  one  after  another. 

17.  The  Evangelist  had  already  asserted  the  superiority  of  our 
Lord  over  John  the  Baptist,  and  now  he  proclaims  Him  superior 
to  Moses.  Through  Moses  the  Jews  had  received  the  Law  which 
pointed  out  man's  duties,  but  did  not  of  itself  give  grace  to  fulfil 
those  duties;  whereas  Christ,  the  author  and  source  of  grace  and 
truth,  in  the  New  Law  has  given  to  the  world  not  onlv  a  thorough 


412  ST.  JOHN  I,  18-21 

i8.  No  man  hath  seen  God  at  any  time :  the  only  begotten  Son  who  is  in  the 
bosom  of  the  Father,  he  hath  declared  him. 

19.  And  this  is  the  testimony  of  John,  when  the  Jews  sent  from  Jerusalem 
priests  and  Levites  to  him,  to  ask  him :  Who  art  thou? 

20.  And  he  confessed,  and  did  not  deny :  and  he  confessed :  I  am  not  the 
Christ. 

21.  And  they  asked  him:  What  then?  Art  thou  Elias?  And  he  said:  I  am 
not.    Art  thou  the  prophet?    And  he  answered  :  No. 

knowledge  of  the  things  necessary  for  man's  salvation,  but  abun- 
dant grace  also  to  perform  all  these  things. 

18.  No  man  hath  seen  God  at  any  time ;  i.e.,  no  man  while  here 
on  earth,  at  least  while  living  the  life  of  the  senses,  has  ever  seen 
God  as  He  is  in  Himself.  When  we  read  in  Scripture  that  Jacob 
or  Job  or  Moses  or  Isaias  saw  God,  the  meaning  is  that  they  saw 
Him  represented  under  some  visible  human  form,  or  as  an  angel 
who  had  assumed  human  appearances  in  order  to  represent  in  some 
degree  the  glory  of  God.  St.  Thomas,  however,  holds  that  Moses 
and  St.  Paul  here  below  enjoyed  while  in  rapture  a  real  vision  of 
the  divine  essence. 

The  angels  and  saints  in  Heaven  see  God  as  He  is,  they  behold 
His  essence,  but  even  then  only  according  to  their  own  capacity  and 
not  comprehensively.  As  God  is  infinite  in  essence  it  is  impossible 
that  any  creature  should  see  and  understand  Him  perfectly  and 
completely.  The  present  verse  seems  to  assign  the  reason  why  the 
New  Law  and  the  gifts  of  Christ  are  so  superior  to  the  Law  of 
Moses ;  namely,  because  Christ  who  is  consubstantial  with  the  Father 
and  knows  all  the  secrets  of  the  Godhead,  has  declared  the  doctrines 
and  mysteries  contained  in  the  New  Law. 

19.  The  Evangelist  is  here  recording  one  of  the  most  important 
testimonies  of  John  the  Baptist.  There  was  a  general  feeling  among 
many  of  the  Jews  that  the  Baptist  was  the  Christ,  and  hence  a  very 
superior  deputation  was  sent  from  Jerusalem  to  John,  most  prob- 
ably by  the  Sanhedrim,  the  supreme  council  among  the  Jews,  whose 
office  it  was  to  enquire  into  the  authority  and  credentials  of  every 
preacher;  they  wanted  to  know  authoritatively  whether  John  was 
the  Messiah. 

20.  In  a  most  emphatic  manner  John  declares  that  he  is  not  the 
Christ. 

21.  Art  thou  Elias?    According  to  the  prophecy  of  Mai.  (iv.  5), 


ST.  JOHN  I,  22-26  413 

22.  They  said  therefore  unto  him:  Who  art  thou,  that  we  may  give  an  an- 
swer to  them  that  sent  us?    What  sayest  thou  of  thyself? 

22,.  He  said :  I  am  the  voice  of  one  crying  in  the  wilderness,  make  straight 
the  way  of  the  Lord,  as  said  the  prophet  Isaias. 

24.  And  they  that  were  sent,  were  of  the  Pharisees. 

25.  And  they  asked  him,  and  said  to  him:  Why  then  dost  thou  baptize,  if 
thou  be  not  Christ,  nor  Elias,  nor  the  prophet? 

26.  John  answered  them,  saying :  I  baptize  with  water ;  but  there  hath  stood 
one  in  the  midst  of  you,  whom  you  know  not. 

I^^lias  should  return  to  earth  before  the  coming  of  Christ ;  but 
the  prophecy  refers  only  to  the  second  coming  of  Christ,  which 
alone  Elias  is  to  precede  in  person.  As  the  Jews  did  not  distinguish 
the  first  coming  of  Christ  in  humility  and  meekness  from  His  second 
coming  in  power  and  glory,  they  thought  that  John  the  Baptist  who 
came  in  the  spirit  and  power  of  Elias  (Luke  i.  17)  was  himself 
Elias.    See  on  Matthew  xvii.  IQ-12. 

Art  thou  the  prophet?  The  Jews  misunderstood  Deut,  (xviii. 
15)  which,  when  it  speaks  of  the  prophet  (6 irpo4>r]TT]s)  refers  with- 
out doubt  to  our  Lord ;  they  understood  the  passage  to  refer  to 
some  other  prophet. 

22.  If  the  Baptist  were  not  the  Christ,  nor  Elias,  nor  the  prophet, 
the  priests  and  levites  could  not  understand  who  he  was. 

23.  The  voice  of  one  crying.  See  on  Matt.  iii.  3.  Far  from 
being  the  Messiah,  John  professes  himself  to  be  nothing  more  than 
a  voice,  whose  crying  and  preaching  were  only  to  prepare  the  way 
and  dispose  the  hearts  of  the  people  for  the  coming  Messiah. 

24.  Pharisees.    See  on  Matthew  iii.  7. 

25.  Why  then  dost  thou  baptize?  The  Pharisees  who  were 
versed  in  the  Law  knew  from  Ezech.  (xxxvi.  25)  and  Zach.  (xiii.  i) 
that,  at  the  time  of  the  Messiah,  there  would  be  a  baptism  for  the 
remission  of  sins,  and  from  these  passages  they  wrongly  concluded 
that  only  the  Messiah,  or  some  one  with  Him,  could  confer  this 
baptism.    Hence  they  could  not  understand  why  John  was  baptizing. 

26.  I  baptize  with  water.  The  baptism  which  was  foretold  by 
the  prophets  was  to  be  for  the  remission  of  sins ;  but  the  baptism 
which  John  was  conferring  was  only  a  disposition,  a  preparation  for 
that  spoken  of  by  the  prophets. 

There  hath  stood,  etc.,  —  literally,  ''there  standeth  "  (((rrriKev 
or  (TTrjKei).     The  meaning  of  the  passage  is  not  that  our  Lord  was 


414  ST.  JOHN  I,  27-31 

27.  The  same  is  he  that  shall  come  after  me,  who  is  preferred  before  me : 
the  latchet  of  whose  shoe  I  am  not  worthy  to  loose. 

28.  These  things  were  done  in  Bethania,  beyond  the  Jordan,  where  John 
was  baptizing. 

29.  The  next  day,  John  saw  Jesus  coming  to  him,  and  he  saith :  Behold  the 
Lamb  of  God,  behold  him  who  taketh  away  the  sin  of  the  world. 

30.  This  is  he,  of  whom  I  said :  After  me  there  cometh  a  man,  who  is  pre- 
ferred before  me :  because  he  was  before  me. 

31.  And  I  knew  him  not,  but  that  he  may  be  made  manifest  in  Israel,  there- 
fore am  I  come  baptizing  with  water. 

then  and  there  present,  but  that  He  was  already  living  among  the 
Jews. 

27.  In  this  verse  the  following  words :  "  the  same  is,"  and  "  who 
is  preferred  before  me  "  are  not  found  in  many  MSS.  In  the  latter 
part  of  the  verse  the  Baptist  declares  he  is  not  worthy  to  perform 
the  most  menial  service  for  Christ. 

28.  Bethania,  or  "  Bethabara,"  as  some  readings  have  it,  means 
"  the  house  of  a  boat."  It  was  east  of  the  Jordan  in  Peraea,  and 
was  a  point  from  which  people  commonly  crossed  the  river  from 
Peraea  to  Judea.  This  was  why  John  chose  the  spot  for  his  preach- 
ing and  baptism.  We  must  carefully  distinguish  this  Bethania  from 
the  town  in  Judea  where  Lazarus  lived. 

29.  The  next  day  John  saw  Jesus;  i.e.,  the  day  following  the  one 
on  which  he  had  given  the  preceding  testimony.  We  do  not  know 
for  certain  whence  our  Lord  was  coming,  but  it  is  most  probable 
that  He  was  coming  from  the  desert  after  His  forty  days'  fast. 

Behold  the  Lamb  of  God.  Our  Lord  was  spoken  of  as  the  lamb 
of  God  most  probably  because  He  was  to  be  offered  for  the  sins 
of  men.  To  point  Him  out  as  the  Lamb  of  God  was  equivalent 
to  designating  Him  as  the  Messiah,  because  Isaias  (Hii.  7-12) 
had  compared  the  Messiah  to  a  lamb  that  should  bear  the  sins  of 
men. 

Who  taketh  away  the  sin,  etc. ;  i.e.,  who  will  wipe  away  com- 
pletely the  sins,  not  only  of  the  Jews  or  of  one  nation,  but  of  all 
men. 

30.  In  this  verse  there  is  reference  most  probably  to  the  testi- 
mony recorded  in  verse  15. 

31.  And  I  knew  him  not;  i.e.,  publicly  or  officially;  or  even  per- 
sonally, perhaps.  St.  John  had  been  brought  up  in  the  hill  country 
of  Judea,  whereas  our  Lord  had  grown  to  manhood  in  Nazareth 


ST.  JOHN  I,  32-39  415 

2,2.  And  John  gave  testimony,  saying :  I  saw  the  Spirit  coming  down,  as  a 
dove  from  heaven,  and  he  remained  upon  him. 

2,},.  And  I  knew  him  not ;  but  he  who  sent  me  to  baptize  with  water,  said  to 
me :  He  upon  whom  thou  shalt  see  the  Spirit  descending,  and  remaining  upon 
him,  he  it  is  that  baptizeth  with  the  Holy  Ghost. 

34.  And  I  saw,  and  I  gave  testimony,  that  this  is  the  Son  of  God. 

35.  The  next  day  again  John  stood,  and  two  of  his  disciples. 

2,(y.  And  beholding  Jesus  walking,  he  saith  :  Behold  the  Lamb  of  God. 

37.  And  the  two  disciples  heard  him  speak,  and  they  followed  Jesus. 

38.  And  Jesus  turning,  and  seeing  them  following  him,  saith  to  them  :  What 
seek  you?  Who  said  to  him,  Rabbi,  (which  is  to  say,  being  interpreted,  Mas- 
ter,) where  dwellcst  thou? 

39.  He  saith  to  them :  Come  and  see.  They  came,  and  saw  where  he 
abode,  and  they  stayed  with  him  that  day :  now  it  was  about  the  tenth 
hour. 

of  Galilee,  hence  it  is  not  probable  that  the  two  were  personally 
acquainted  before  they  had  grown  to  manhood. 

32.  And  John  gave  testimony,  saying.  These  are  the  words  of 
the  Evangelist  interrupting  the  narrative  of  the  Baptist. 

I  saw  the  Spirit  coming  down,  etc.,  which  was  at  our  Lord's 
baptism.     See  on  Matthew  iii.  16,  17. 

33.  But  he  who  sent  me  .  .  .  said  to  me,  etc.  Here  the 
Baptist  makes  known  that  the  sign  he  had  perceived  at  our 
Lord's  baptism  had  previously  been  revealed  to  him  as  one 
that  would  designate  the  Messiah,  and  so  confirm  his  faith  in  the 
Messiah. 

That  baptizeth  with  the  Holy  Ghost;  i.e.,  that  takes  away  the 
sins  of  men  by  the  graces  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 

34.  And  I  gave  testimony  that  this,  etc.  It  does  not  appear 
from  the  Gospel  just  when  the  Baptist  uttered  this  testimony  that 
our  Lord  was  "  the  Son  of  God,"  except,  indeed,  in  so  far  as  it 
was  implied  in  speaking  of  our  Lord's  superior  character,  exalted 
dignity,  of  His  taking  away  the  sins  of  the  world,  etc. ;  but  that 
he  did  recognize  the  Messiah  as  God  is  certain. 

35.  Two  of  his  disciples.  One  of  these  disciples  was  Andrew, 
as  is  evident  from  verse  40 ;  the  other  was  most  likely  St.  John  the 
Evangelist  himself. 

38.  Rabbi.  The  Evangelist  here  gives  the  Greek  rendering  of 
the  Aramaic  word  Rabbi,  thereby  showing  that  he  was  writing  for 
his  Greek  disciples  of  Asia  Minor. 

39.  Tenth  hour;  i.e.,  about  two  hours  before  sunset.     The  Jews 


4i6  ST.  JOHN  I,  40-44 

40.  And  Andrew,  the  brother  of  Simon  Peter,  was  one  of  the  two  who  had 
heard  of  John,  and  followed  him. 

41.  He  findeth  first  his  brother  Simon,  and  saith  to  him:  We  have  found 
the  Messias,  which  is,  being  interpreted,  the  Christ. 

42.  And  he  brought  him  to  Jesus.  And  Jesus  looking  upon  him,  said  :  Thou 
art  Simon  the  son  of  Jona :  thou  shalt  be  called  Cephas,  which  is  interpreted 
Peter. 

43.  On  the  following  day,  he  would  go  forth  into  Galilee,  and  he  findeth 
Philip,    And  Jesus  saith  to  him  :  Follow  me. 

44.  Now  Philip  was  of  Bethsaida,  the  city  of  Andrew  and  Peter. 

divided  tneir  days  and  nights  into  twelve  equal  parts  or  hours, 
varying  in  length  according  to  the  seasons  of  the  year.  The  tenth 
hour,  therefore,  of  the  day  must  have  been  two  hours  before  sunset 
or  the  close  of  the  day. 

40.  See  on  verse  35. 

41.  The  Messias.  Here  again  the  Evangelist  explains  for  his 
Greek  readers  the  meaning  of  the  Aramaic  word  Messiah  from  the 
Hebrew,  Mashach. 

42.  Thou  shalt  be  called  Cephas.  It  is  disputed  whether  our 
Lord  at  this  time  conferred  on  Simon  the  name  "  Cephas "  or 
"  Peter " ;  or  whether  He  only  foretells  it  here.  It  seems  more 
probable  that  the  name  "  Peter  "  was  not  conferred,  but  only  fore- 
told at  this  time ;  the  actual  conferring  of  the  name  seems  to  have 
been  later,  as  recorded  by  Matt.  xvi.  18. 

Cephas,  meaning  rock,  is  the  Greek  for  the  Aramaic  Kepha.  See 
on  Matt.  xvi.  18. 

43.  Into  Galilee.  Our  Lord  had  come  from  Nazareth  in  Galilee 
to  be  baptized  by  John  (Matt.  iii.  13).  Immediately  after  His  bap- 
tism. He  retired  to  the  desert  for  forty  days  ( Matt.  iv.  i )  ;  and 
when  He  came  forth  from  the  desert  He  was  witnessed  to  by  St. 
John  the  Baptist  (John  i.  15,  ig-36)  ;  and  now,  after  all  this.  He 
was  about  to  return  to  Galilee. 

Follow  me.  This  call  of  Philip  was  an  invitation  to  become  a 
disciple  only,  not  a  formal  call  to  the  Apostleship.  The  same  is 
true  of  the  others,  Peter,  Andrew,  James,  John  and  Nathanael, 
spoken  of  in  this  chapter.  The  formal  call  of  the  x\postles  is 
recorded  in  Matt.  iv.  18-22;  Luke  v.  i-ii. 

44.  Bethsaida.  This  was  Bethsaida  of  Galilee  on  the  western 
coast  or  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  about  four  miles  south  of 
Capharnaum. 


ST.  JOHN  I,  45-50  417 

45-  Philip  findeth  Nathanael,  and  saitli  to  him:  We  have  found  him  of 
whom  Moses  in  the  law.  and  the  prophets  did  write,  Jesus  the  son  of  Joseph  of 
Nazareth. 

46.  And  Nathanael  said  to  him  :  Can  any  thing  of  good  come  from  Naza- 
reth?   Phihp  saith  to  him  :  Come  and  see. 

47-  Jesus  saw  Nathanael  coming  to  him  :  and  he  saith  of  him  :  Behold  an 
Israelite  mdeed,  in  whom  there  is  no  guile. 

48.  Nathanael  saith  to  him:  Whence  knowest  thou  me?  Jesus  answered 
and  said  to  him :  Before  that  Philip  called  thee,  when  thou  wast  under  the  fig- 
tree,  I  saw  thee. 

49-  Nathanael  answered  him,  and  said:  Rabbi,  thou  art  the  Son  of  God 
thou  art  the  king  of  Israel.  ' 

50.  Jesus  answered,  and  said  to  him  :  Because  I  said  unto  thee,  I  saw  thee 
under  the  fig-tree,  thou  believest :  greater  things  than  these  shalt  thou  see. 

45-  Nathanael  was  a  native  of  Cana  in  Galilee,  and  was  after- 
wards known  as  the  Apostle  Bartholomew. 

Jesus,  the  son  of  Joseph.  It  is  clear  that  Philip  regarded  our 
Lord  as  the  natural  son  of  Joseph,  but  it  would  be  stupid  to  con- 
chide  that  St.  John  the  Evangelist,  who  was  merely  recording  the 
words  of  Philip,  was  also  ignorant  of  the  miraculous  birth  of  the 
Christ. 

46.  Can  anything  of  good  come  from  Nazareth.  Nazareth  was 
an  obscure  village  of  lower  Galilee,  and  was  generallv  held  in  con- 
tempt ;  hence  Nathanael  expressed  the  doubt,  or  at  least  the  sur- 
prise, that  the  Messiah  should  come  from  Nazareth.  Nazareth 
was  the  home  of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  the  scene  of  the  Incarnation, 
and  of  our  Lord's  childhood  and  private  life. 

47-  Behold  an  Israelite  indeed,  in  whom,  etc.  In  these  words 
our  Lord  pointed  out  Nathanael  as  a  true  son  of  Jacob  or  Israel,  not 
only  because  he  was  a  lineal  descendant  of  Jacob,  but  also  because 
he  possessed  the  latter's  simplicity  and  honesty  of  heart  and  mind. 

49-  Thou  art  the  Son  of  God.  It  is  disputed  whether  Nathanael 
recognized  our  Lord  as  the  true  consubstantial  Son  of  God :  or  only 
the  Son  of  God  by  excellence,  above  all  others.  The  latter  opinion 
would  seem  more  probable,  as  the  true  confession  of  our  Lord's 
Divinity  seems  to  have  been  first  made  by  St.  Peter  (Matt.  xvi. 
16-18).  See,  however,  on  Matthew  xiv.  33.  Cardinal  Franzelin 
holds  the  former  opinion,  and  a  Lapide  thinks  Nathanael  believed, 
in  a  confused  way,  in  our  Lord's  Divinity. 

50.  Greater  things  than  these,  etc.    Our  Lord  is  here  perhaps 


4l8  ST.  JOHN  I,  51 

51.  And  he  saith  to  him:  Amen,  amen  I  say  to  you,  you  shall  see  the 
heaven  opened,  and  the  angels  of  God  ascending  and  descending  upon  the  Son 
of  man. 

referring  to  His  future  miracles,  of  which  Nathanael  should  be  a 
witness,  and  which  should  prove  Him  beyond  doubt  to  be  the  Son 
of  God  in  the  strictest  sense. 

51.  Amen,  amen,  I  say.  The  repetition  of  the  word  "amen" 
is  peculiar  to  St.  John,  the  Evangelist,  and  is  calculated  to  give 
force  to  what  follows.  It  is  never  used  in  the  Old  Testament  to 
affirm  beforehand  what  follows,  but  only  to  assert  more  roundly 
what  has  been  said.    Cf.  Num.  v.  22, ;  Deut.  xxvii.  15:2  Esd.  v.  13,  etc. 

You  shall  see  the  heaven  opened,  etc.  The  meaning  of  these 
words  is  not  certain.  It  is  disputed  whether  they  should  be  taken 
in  a  literal,  or  in  a  metaphorical  sense.  The  most  probable  inter- 
pretation seems  to  be  that  given  by  Maldonatus,  who  explains  the 
words  literally,  as  referring  to  the  Last  Judgment  when  the  appear- 
ance of  our  Lord  in  the  clouds  of  the  heaven,  surrounded  by  His 
holy  angels,  will  make  it  manifest  to  all  that  He  is  indeed  the  Son 
of  God.  Of  the  metaphorical  interpretations  the  most  probable  is 
that  which  sees  in  these  words  a  reference  to  Jacob's  dream.  The 
angels  ascending  and  descending  which  Jacob  saw  in  his  dream 
signified  special  protection  and  favor  on  the  part  of  God ;  and  this 
special  protection  and  favor  signified  in  Jacob's  dream  was  so  to  be 
verified  in  the  case  of  our  Lord,  that  it  would  be  manifest  beyond 
doubt  that  He  was  the  Son  of  God. 

Son  of  man.  Here  for  the  first  time  in  this  Gospel  Jesus  calls 
Himself  the  Son  of  man,  and  the  meaning  He  attaches  to  it  is  that 
He  is  the  offspring  of  our  human  race,  but  in  the  highest  and  most 
excellent  manner,  as  well  as  the  Son  of  God.  The  "  Son  of  man,'' 
therefore,  means  the  man  foretold  and  awaited,  the  Messiah.  In  the 
Synoptics,  chiefly  in  Matthew  and  Luke,  this  title  is  applied  to  our 
Lord  thirty-nine  times.  It  is  employed  ten  times  in  St.  John.  See 
on  Matthew  viii.  20. 


ST.  JOHN  II,  1-4  4ig 


CHAPTER   II 


The  Marriage  Feast  at  Cana,  i-ii. 

Jesus  at  Capharnaum,  12. 

Jesus  Goes  to  Jerusalem  and  There  Drives  the 

Traffickers  Out  of  the  Temple,  13-17. 
Asked  by  the  Jews  for  a  Sign  of  His  Authority 

Jesus  Predicts  His  Own  Resurrection,  18-22. 
At  the  First  Pascii  of  His  Public  Life,  Many 

Believe   in   Jesus   Because  of   His   Miracles, 

23-25- 

n./.h^"'!  l^'  '^''^  ^r"-  ^^'"'  "^^^  ^  marriage  in  Cana  of  Galilee:  and  the 
mother  of  Jesus  was  there. 

2.  And  Jesus  also  was  invited,  and  his  disciples,  to  the  marriage 
wine  "^'"^  ^^'''"^'  *^^  "'°*^^''  °^  ■^^'"'  '""'^^  ^"^  ^™  •  "^^^y  ^'^^^  "° 

4.  And  Jesus  saith  to  her:  Woman,  what  is  that  to  me  and  to  thee?  my 
hour  IS  not  yet  come.  '      ^ 

I.  The  Evangelist  has  already  told  us  how  the  Baptist  witnessed 
to  our  Lord  and  how  the  first  disciples  joined  the  Saviour;  and 
now  he  goes  on  to  show  how  our  Lord's  Divinity  was  witnessed 
to  by  His  own  miracles. 

The  third  day;  i.e.,  the  third  day  after  His  departure  from 
Judea  for  Galilee  (i.  43). 

Cana  of  Galilee  was  near  Capharnaum  in  the  tribe  of  Zabulon 
This  IS  to  be  distinguished  from  the  other  Cana  near  Sidon  in  the 
tribe  of  Aser  (Jos.  xix.  28). 

2.  And   Jesus   also    was    invited.    Maldonatus    holds    that    the 
•'and"  in  this  clause  is  explanatory,  hence  the  meaning  is-   Be- 
cause the  Blessed  Virgin  was  there  (verse  i),  Jesus  was  invited 
Our  Lord  assisted  at  this  marriage  out  of  charity  for  His  friends 
and  relatives,  and  to  sanctify  by  His  presence  the  marriage  state 

3.  They  have  no  wine.  The  reason  for  thus  addressing  her 
divine  Son  was  doubtless  to  induce  Him  to  work  a  miracle  for  the 
sake  of  the  guests  at  the  wedding  feast. 

4.  Woman,  what  is  it  to  me  and  to  thee?  literally  "What 
to  me  and  to  thee,  woman  "   (rl  e^ol  Kal  ad  yi.uac).     Some  trans- 


420  ST.  JOHN  II,  5 

5.  His  mother  saith  to  the  waiters :  Whatsoever  he  shall  say  to  you,  do  ye. 

late  the  passage  thus:  "Woman,  what  need  have  we  to  trouble 
ourselves?  "  others,  "  Woman,  what  have  I  in  common  with  thee?  " 
But  usually  tI  k/xol  Kal  aoi  in  Scripture  signifies :  "  leave  it  to  me, 
leave  me  in  peace."  This  is  the  meaning  of  the  sentence  in  Judges 
xi.  12;  2  Kings  xvi.  10;  3  Kings  xvii.  18;  4  Kings  iii.  13.  The  real 
meaning  of  these  words,  however,  in  the  present  instance,  has 
puzzled  the  commentators  of  all  times.  Most  Protestants  have 
maintained  that  these  words  were  a  reproof  of  the  Blessed  Virgin. 
The  older  opinion  among  Catholic  commentators  was  that  they 
contain  the  semblance  of  reproof ;  the  general  opinion,  however, 
among  Catholic  commentators  now  is  that  the  words  do  not  con- 
tain even  a  shadow  of  reproof.  This  last  opinion  seems  quite  cer- 
tain for  the  following  reasons:  (a)  there  was  nothing  wrong  in 
what  was  requested  by  our  Blessed  Lady;  (b)  there  was  no  fault 
committed  by  her  in  making  the  request,  because  she  was  at  all 
times  without  sin;  (c)  the  thing  requested  was  afterwards  granted 
by  our  Lord;  (d)  in  many  places  in  the  Old  Testament,  and  in 
several  of  the  New,  the  same  expression,  "  what  to  me  and  to  thee  " 
is  used,  and  in  none  of  these  instances  do  the  words  convey  any- 
thing of  censure  or  reproof.  Cf.  Judg.  xi.  12;  3  Kings  xvii.  18; 
4  Kings  iii.  13;  2  Paral.  xxxv.  21  ;  Mark  v.  7;  Luke  viii.  28.  Most 
Protestants  now  admit  that  the  term  yvuaL,  Mistress,  Lady,  implies 
respect,  reverence  and  affection.  Thus  Trench  {Miracles,  p.  100) 
says :  "  So  far  from  any  harshness,  the  compellation  has  something 
solemn  in  it."  Liddell  &  Scott's  Lexicon  says:  "It  is  often  used 
as  a  term  of  respect  or  affection,  —  mistress,  lady." 

My  hour  is  not  yet  come.  The  expression  "  My  hour  "  usually 
refers  to  our  Lord's  Passion ;  but  here  it  means  the  time  appointed 
by  Divine  Providence  for  working  public  miracles.  Hence  accord- 
ing to  the  general  Providence  of  God,  it  was  not  opportune  or  con- 
venient that  our  Lord  should  work  a  public  miracle  at  this  time; 
and  hence  the  meaning  of  this  whole  verse  is  "  what  is  it  to  me  and 
to  thee,  lady,  that  they  have  no  wine  ?  I  cannot  well  work  a  miracle 
now,  because  the  time  for  my  public  miracles  has  not  yet  arrived." 

5.  Whatsoever  he  shall  say  to  you,  do  ye.  These  words  show 
that  our  Lady  had  not  been  reproved;  but  that,  on  the  contrary, 
she  knew  that  her  request  would  be  granted.     Hence  the  words  of 


ST.  JOHN  II,  6-10  421 

) 

6.  Now  there  were  set  there  six  water-pots  of  stone,  according  to  the  man- 
ner of  the  purifying  of  the  Jews,  containing  two  or  three  measures  apiece. 

7.  Jesus  saith  to  them  :  Fill  the  water-pots  with  water.  And  they  filled  them 
up  to  the  brim. 

8.  And  Jesus  saith  to  them  :  Draw  out  now,  and  carry  to  the  chief  steward 
of  the  feast.    And  they  carried  it. 

9.  And  when  the  chief  steward  had  tasted  the  water  made  wine,  and  knew 
not  whence  it  was,  but  the  waiters  knew  who  had  drawn  the  water;  the  chief 
steward  calleth  the  bridegroom, 

ID.  And  saith  to  him :  Every  man  at  first  setteth  forth  good  wine,  and  when 
men  have  well  drunk,  then  that  which  is  worse.  But  thou  hast  kept  the  good 
wine  until  now. 

St.  Justin  Martyr :  "  He  reproved  not  His  Mother  by  what  He  said, 
who  honored  her  by  what  He  did." 

6.  Six  waterpots  .  .  .  containing  two  or  three  measures  apiece. 
The  Greek  Hquid  measure,  /xeTpTjTTjs,  here  spoken  of,  contained 
about  nine  gallons.  Each  waterpot,  therefore,  if  it  contained  two 
or  three  measures,  would  hold  about  eighteen  or  twenty-seven 
gallons ;  and  since  there  were  six  of  these  waterpots  the  quantity  of 
wine  produced  by  the  miracle  would  be  about  one  hundred  and  eight 
or  one  hundred  and  sixty-two  gallons.  This  was  not  an  extraor- 
dinary quantity  of  wine,  if  we  remember  that  the  marriage  feast 
lasted  a  week  and  was  taken  part  in  by  a  great  crowd  of  people. 
The  quantity  of  water  made  wine,  however,  showed  the  magnifi- 
cence of  the  miracle. 

According  to  the  manner  of  the  purifying,  etc.  See  on  Matt. 
XV.  2. 

7.  Up  to  the  brim,  which  shows  that  there  was  no  room  left 
for  fraud  by  mixing  wine  with  the  water. 

8.  The  chief  steward;  i.e.,  the  chief  servant  who  had  charge 
over  the  other  servants,  and  of  the  entertainment  as  a  whole. 

9.  Who  had  drawn  the  water;  i.e.,  from  the  well  for  the  pur- 
pose of  filling  the  waterpots.  The  surprise  of  the  chief  steward 
and  the  reproof  which,  in  the  subsequent  verse,  he  gave  to  the 
bridegroom  show  the  reality  of  the  miracle. 

10.  In  this  verse  the  chief  steward  refers  to  what  was  customary 
at  banquets. 

When  men  have  well  drunk,  etc.  This  means  when  they 
have  become  quite  satisfied ;  there  is  no  question  of  intemperance 
here. 


422  ST.  JOHN  II,  11-15 

11.  This  beginning  of  miracles  did  Jesus  in  Cana  of  Galilee ;  and  manifested 
his  glory,  and  his  disciples  believed  in  him. 

12.  After  this  he  went  down  to  Capharnaum,  he  and  his  mother,  and  his 
brethren,  and  his  disciples :  and  they  remained  there  not  many  days. 

13.  And  the  pasch  of  the  Jews  was  at  hand,  and  Jesus  went  up  to  Jerusalem. 

14.  And  he  found  in  the  temple  them  that  sold  oxen  and  sheep  and  doves, 
and  the  changers  of  money  sitting. 

15.  And  when  he  had  made,  as  it  were,  a  scourge  of  little  cords,  he  drove 
them  all  out  of  the  temple,  the  sheep  also  and  the  oxen,  and  the  money  of  the 
changers  he  poured  out,  and  the  tables  he  overthrew. 

11.  This  beginning  of  miracles,  etc.  This  is  the  first  of  our 
Lord's  public  miracles,  but  it  does  not  follow  that  He  had  not 
aforetime  performed  miracles  in  private,  during  the  years  He  spent 
in  Nazareth.  The  purpose  of  this  miracle  was  like  that  of  all  the 
other  of  our  Lord's  miracles ;  namely,  to  manifest  the  glory  of  His 
Father  and  to  provoke  belief  in  His  Divinity.  The  disciples  be- 
lieved in  Him  already,  but  this  miracle  strengthened  their  faith. 

12.  Since  we  are  not  told  that  our  Lord's  brethren  were  at  Cana, 
it  is  possible  that  He  went  first  to  Nazareth  where,  being  joined  by 
His  brethren  who  lived  at  Nazareth,  He  proceeded  to  Capharnaum 
on  the  north-west  shore  of  the  Sea  of  Galilee.  See  on  Matthew 
xii.  46. 

13.  And  the  pasch  of  the  Jews  was  at  hand.  St.  John  mentions 
this  fact  for  his  non-Jewish  readers  of  Asia  Minor.  There  were 
three  principal  feasts  celebrated  in  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem  each 
year :  the  Pasch,  Pentecost,  and  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles ;  and  at 
each  of  these  all  male  adults  were  bound  to  be  present.  The  Pasch 
was  the  greatest  of  the  Jewish  festivals  and  extended  from  the  even- 
ing of  the  14th  to  the  evening  of  the  21st  of  Nisan.  See  also  on 
Matthew  xxvi.  2. 

14.  This  ejection  of  the  traffickers  from  the  Temple  took  place 
at  the  beginning  of  our  Lord's  public  ministry.  A  similar  one 
occurred  nearly  three  years  later.  Cf.  Matthew  xxi.  12;  Mark  xi. 
15;  Luke  xix.  45.  The  traders  ejected  from  the  Temple  were  most 
probably  in  the  Court  of  the  Gentiles.     See  on  Matthew  xxi.  12. 

15.  A  scourge  of  cords,  which  was  used  in  driving  out  the  cattle 
only.  St.  Jerome  regards  this  whole  occurrence  as  "  the  most  mar- 
vellous of  all  the  miraculous  signs  of  our  Lord's  power.  A  man 
who  was  looked  upon  with  scorn  and  was  treated  as  the  last  of  men. 
so  as  to  be  crucified,  has  the  power  to  banish  with  a  simple  whip  of 


ST.  JOHN  II,  16-20  423 

16.  And  to  them  that  sold  doves  he  said :  Take  these  things  hence,  and  make 
not  the  house  of  my  Father  a  house  of  traffic. 

17.  And  his  disciples  remembered,  that  it  was  written  :  The  zeal  of  thy 
house  hath  eaten  me  up. 

18.  The  Jews,  therefore,  answered,  and  said  to  him :  What  sign  dost  thou 
shew  unto  us,  seeing  thou  dost  these  things? 

19.  Jesus  answered,  and  said  to  them  :  Destroy  this  temple,  and  in  three 
days  I  will  raise  it  up. 

20.  The  Jews  then  said :  Six  and  forty  years  was  this  temple  in  building ; 
and  wilt  thou  raise  it  up  in  three  days? 


cords  so  great  a  multitude,  upset  their  tables  and  do  other  things, 
which  an  armed  force  could  hardly  accomplish ;  and  this,  in  the 
presence  of  the  Pharisees  and  Doctors  of  the  Law,  transported  with 
rage  against  Him,  as  well  as  of  those  whose  traffic  He  ruined." 

16.  A  house  of  traffic.  The  trading  in  the  Temple  was  a  sacri- 
legious act,  because  it  was  the  profaning  of  a  sacred  place. 

17.  Hath  eaten  me  up.  A  better  reading  has,  "  will  eat  me  up  " 
(KaTa0d7€Tat).  The  Psalmist,  however,  in  the  passage  here  quoted 
(Ps.  Ixviii.  10)  was  speaking  in  the  prophetic  past,  and  yet  he  was 
describing  the  zeal  of  the  future  Messiah  for  the  honor  of  the 
house  of  God.  The  disciples  who  were  familiar  with  the  Psalms,  and 
other  parts  of  Scripture  recited  in  the  synagogue,  remembered  that 
these  words  were  predicted  of  the  Christ,  and  they  saw  that  in  the 
present  case  the  words  were  peculiarly  applicable  to  our  Lord. 

18.  The  Jews  answered;  i.e.,  they  began,  or  went  on,  to  speak. 
They  demanded  another  miracle  as  a  proof  of  His  authority  to 
drive  the  dealers  from  the  Temple,  pretending  not  to  realize  the 
magnitude  of  the  miracle  He  had  just  performed. 

19.  Destroy  this  temple,  etc.  Speaking  of  His  body  under  the 
figure  of  a  temple,  our  Lord  now  refers  to  the  greatest  of  His 
miracles,  which,  consequently,  was  to  be  the  greatest  proof  of 
His  Divinity ;  namely,  His  Resurrection  from  the  dead.  The  Jews, 
and  even  the  disciples,  apparently  misunderstood  Him  to  speak 
literally  of  Herod's  temple.  Our  Lord  spoke  thus  ambiguously 
because  the  Jews  had  shown  themselves  unworthy  of  plainer  words ; 
but  even  so,  a  deception  did  not  necessarily  follow,  since  the  word, 
caos,  temple,  could  be  properly  used  of  a  human  body.  Cf.,  e.g., 
I  Cor.  iii.  16,  17;  vi.  19;  2  Cor.  vi.  16. 

20.  Six  and  forty  years,  etc.    The  Temple  here  spoken  of  was 


424  ST.  JOHN  II,  21-25 

21.  But  he  spoke  of  the  temple  of  his  body. 

22.  When  therefore  he  was  risen  again  from  the  dead,  his  disciples  remem- 
bered, that  he  had  said  this,  and  they  believed  the  scripture,  and  the  word  that 
Jesus  had  said. 

23.  Now  when  he  was  at  Jerusalem,  at  the  pasch,  upon  the  festival  day, 
many  believed  in  his  name,  seeing  his  signs  which  he  did. 

24.  But  Jesus  did  not  trust  himself  unto  chem,  for  that  he  knew  all  men, 

25.  And  because  he  needed  not  that  any  should  give  testimony  of  man ;  for 
he  knew  what  was  in  man. 

known  as  Herod's  Temple.  The  first  temple,  built  by  Solomon  in 
eight  years  (3  Kings  vi.  38)  was  destroyed  by  the  Chaldeans;  the 
second,  called  Zorobabel's  Temple,  was  begun  in  the  second  year 
of  Cyrus,  and  completed  about  forty-six  years  later,  in  the  ninth 
year  of  Darius  Hystaspes.  In  the  time  of  Herod  this  second  Temple 
was  in  a  state  bordering  on  ruin  and  was  repaired,  and  to  a  certain 
extent  rebuilt,  by  Herod  the  Great,  beginning  in  the  fifteenth  or 
eighteenth  year  of  his  reign,  or  about  22  b.c.  (Josephus,  Bell.  Jud. 
i.  21,  I ;  Antiq.  xv.  11,  i),  which  would  make  about  forty-six  years 
to  the  time  of  the  present  occurrence.  This  Temple  was  not  finally 
^completed  till  about  a.d.  64. 

21.  The  Evangelist  here  cautions  us  against  the  error  of  the 
Jews,  by  giving  us  the  meaning  of  our  Lord's  words. 

22.  After  the  Resurrection  of  our  Lord  the  disciples  clearly 
remembered  and  understood  the  words  which  He  had  spoken  on 
this  occasion  relative  to  the  rebuilding  of  the  Temple,  i.e.,  to  the 
Resurrection  of  His  body. 

23.  Upon  the  festival  day ;  i.e.,  during  the  festival  of  the  Pasch, 
which  lasted  a  week.  We  have  no  record  of  the  miracles  wrought 
by  our  Lord  on  this  occasion,  but  they  must  have  been  many  and 
striking,  since  because  of  them  "  many  believed  in  his  name." 

24.  Although  many  believed  in  Him,  our  Lord,  who  read  their 
hearts,  saw  that  if  put  to  trial  they  would  forsake  Him ;  and  hence 
He  did  not  trust  Himself  to  them. 

25.  He  knew  what  was  in  man;  i.e..  He  read  the  secrets  of 
men's  hearts.  This  is  another  proof  of  His  Divinity,  for  only  God 
can  know  the  secrets  of  the  heart.  (3  Kings  viii.  39;  Job  xlii.  2; 
Ps.  vii.  10), 


ST.  JOHN  III,  1-5  425 


CHAPTER   III 

The   Discourse  of   Our   Lord   with    Nicodemus, 
1-21. 

The  Baptist  Testifies  Anew  to  Jesus,  22-36. 

1.  And  there  was  a  man  of  the  Pharisees,  named  Nicodemus,  a  ruler  of  the 
Jews. 

2.  This  man  came  to  Jesus  by  night,  and  said  to  him :  Rabbi,  we  know  that 
thou  art  come  a  teacher  from  God ;  for  no  man  can  do  these  signs  which  thou 
dost,  unless  God  be  with  him. 

3.  Jesus  answered,  and  said  to  him  :  Amen,  amen  1  say  to  thee,  unless  a  man 
be  born  again,  he  cannot  see  the  kingdom  of  God. 

4.  Nicodemus  saith  to  him:  How  can  a  man  be  born  when  he  is  old?  can 
he  enter  a  second  time  into  his  mother's  womb,  and  be  born  again? 

5.  Jesus  answered :  Amen,  amen  I  say  to  thee,  unless  a  man  be  born  again 
of  water  and  the  Holy  Ghost,  he  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God. 

1.  Nicodemus.  The  Evangelist  makes  special  mention  of  Nico- 
deums  on  account  of  his  prominence,  as  a  Pharisee.  Nicodemus 
was  one  of  those  who  believed  in  our  Lord  because  of  the  miracles 
performed  by  Him  during  the  festival  of  the  Pasch. 

2.  By  night,  Nicodemus  came  to  our  Lord  by  night  most  prob- 
ably because  he  was  ashamed  to  let  the  other  Pharisees  know  of 
his  adherence  to  so  humble  a  man  as  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  At  all 
events  he  showed  that  he  really  believed  our  Lord  to  be  a  messenger 
from  God,  and  this  because  of  His  miracles. 

3.  Unless  a  man  be  born  again,  etc.  Our  Lord  now  points  to 
the  necessity  of  Baptism  for  spiritual  birth,  as  an  indispensable 
condition  for  entering  the  Kingdom  of  God.  To  enter  Heaven 
a  man  must  be  a  "new  creature"  (Gal.  vi.  15),  and  the  first  step 
toward  this  newness  of  life  is  Baptism. 

4.  Nicodemus  either  misunderstood  the  meaning  of  our  Lord's 
words,  or  pretended  to  misunderstand  them,  in  order  to  get  a 
fuller  explanation  of  them. 

5.  In  this  verse  the  Saviour  explains  more  definitely  and  con- 
cretely the  nature  of  this  second  birth.  The  Council  of  Trent 
(Sess.  VII.  can.  2)  defined:  (a)  that  in  this  verse  there  is  question 
of  natural  water;  (b)  and  that  this  natural  water  is  necessary  for 
Baptism.     Water,  therefore,  is  here  to  be  understood  literally,  not 


426  ST.  JOHN  III,  6-10 

6.  That  which  is  born  of  the  flesh,  is  flesh;  and  that  which  is  born  of  the 
Spirit,  is  spirit. 

7.  Wonder  not,  that  I  said  to  thee,  you  must  be  born  again. 

8.  The  Spirit  breatheth  where  he  will ;  and  thou  hearest  his  voice,  but  thou 
knowest  not  whence  he  cometh,  and  whither  he  goeth :  so  is  every  one  that 
is  born  of  the  Spirit. 

9.  Nicodemus  answered,  and  said  to  him:  How  can  these  things  be  done? 

10.  Jesus  answered,  and  said  to  him  :  Art  thou  a  master  in  Israel,  and  know- 
est not  these  things? 

metaphorically ;  and  it  is  not  a  mere  sign  or  symbol,  but  an  efficient 
cause,  of  grace.  Those,  consequently,  who  understand  water  as 
here  used  in  a  metaphorical  sense,  as  a  symbol  or  sign,  stand  con- 
demned by  the  Council.  Water  is  a  real  efficient  cause,  although 
secondary  and  instrumental,  in  conferring  the  grace  of  Baptism, 
the  Holy  Ghost  being  the  primary  or  principal  cause. 

6.  The  meaning  of  this  verse  is:  That  which  comes  from  man, 
as  man,  is  merely  natural ;  whereas  that  which  proceeds  from  the 
Spirit  of  God  is  spiritual  and  supernatural.  Since,  then,  this  new 
life  of  regeneration  of  which  our  Lord  is  speaking  is  spiritual,  it 
requires  a  spiritual  and  supernatural  principle. 

7.  It  is  not  wonderful,  therefore,  since  the  new  life  is  a  spiritual 
one,  that  man  needs  to  be  born  again. 

8.  The  sense  of  this  verse  depends  upon  the  meaning  we  attach 
to  the  first  *'  spirit."  The  more  probable  opinion  is  that  "  spirit  " 
(to  Tvevfia)  means  simply  the  wind.  Hence  our  Lord's  argument 
is,  that  just  as  we  know  not  whence  comes  or  whither  goes  the 
wind,  although  we  must  admit  the  fact  of  its  existence,  so  are  the 
operations  of  the  spirit  of  God,  —  we  perceive  its  influence  and  its 
effects,  but  more  we  do  not  understand.  Others  with  less  prob- 
ability take  "  spirit  "  as  meaning  the  Holy  Ghost,  whose  operations 
in  man  are  according  to  His  own  good  pleasure. 

It  is  not  ususual  for  Tvevfxa  to  mean  wind  in  the  Bible;  see,  e.g., 
Gen.  Viii.  i ;  Ps.  ciii.  4;  Heb.  i.  7. 

9.  10.  Nicodemus  seems  still  bewildered  over  this  new  life  of 
regeneration,  but  our  Lord  marvels  at  him,  since  he,  a  teacher  in 
Israel  and  a  member  of  the  great  Sanhedrim,  does  not  seem  to 
know  that  Ezechiel  (xxxvi.  25)  and  Zacharias  (xiii.  i)  had  fore- 
told this  very  spiritual  regeneration  of  which  our  Lord  has  been 
speaking. 


ST.  JOHN  III,  11-16  427 

11.  Amen,  amen  I  say  to  thee,  that  we  speak  what  we  know,  and  we  testify 
what  we  have  seen,  and  you  receive  not  our  testimony. 

12.  If  I  have  spoken  to  you  earthly  things,  and  you  beHeve  not;  how  will 
you  believe,  if  I  shall  speak  to  you  heavenly  things? 

13.  And  no  man  hath  ascended  into  heaven,  but  he  that  descended  from 
heaven,  the  Son  of  man  who  is  in  heaven. 

14.  And  as  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  desert,  so  must  the  Son  of 
man  be  lifted  up : 

15.  That  whosoever  believeth  in  him,  may  not  perish;  but  may  have  life 
everlasting. 

16.  For  God  so  loved  the  world,  as  to  give  his  only  begotten  Son ;  that  who- 
soever believeth  in  him,  may  not  perish,  but  may  have  life  everlasting. 

11.  We  speak  what  we  know,  etc.  Our  Lord  uses  the  plural. 
This  is  most  probably  the  plural  of  majesty  and  solemnity ;  al- 
though some,  with  less  probability,  hold  that  our  Lord  used  the 
plural  to  signify  that,  together  with  Himself,  the  Father  and  the 
Holy  Ghost  were  witnesses  of  the  truth  of  the  doctrine  He  was 
teaching. 

12.  Earthly  things  most  likely  refer  to  the  Baptism  or  regenera- 
tion concerning  which  He  had  just  been  speaking.  If  Nicodemus 
was  unable  to  understand  the  process  of  this  spiritual  regeneration 
here  on  earth,  which  after  all  is  a  doctrine  comparatively  elemen- 
tary, how  could  he  hope  to  understand  the  higher  spiritual  truths 
of  revelation? 

13.  The  meaning  of  this  verse  is,  that  no  man  except  the  Son 
of  God,  Christ  Himself,  is  able  to  speak  with  full  knowledge  and 
authority  of  the  great  mysteries  of  God.  And  the  reason  is,  because 
Christ  as  God  has  been  in  Heaven  from  all  eternity.  The  word, 
"  ascended  "  is  used  only  to  accommodate  the  thought  to  human 
modes  of  speech  and  thought.  ''  Hath  ascended  "  is  equivalent  to 
"  dwelling  in  Heaven."  The  words,  "  who  is  in  heaven,"  are  not  in 
the  best  MSS. 

14.  15,  As  Moses  lifted  up  the  serpent  in  the  desert,  in  order 
that  they  who  looked  upon  it  might  be  healed  (Num.  xxi.  4-9), 
so  must  Christ  be  raised  aloft  on  the  cross  for  the  salvation  of  all 
who  believe  in  Him  and  keep  His  words.     See  on  Mark  xvi.  16. 

16.  The  words  of  this  verse  are  most  likely  Christ's,  and  not 
those  of  the  Evangelist.  And  here  we  have  assigned  the  reason 
why  the  Father  sent  His  Only  Son  into  the  world ;  namely,  because 
of  His  boundless  love  of  souls  who  were  in  the  world.     But  the 


428  ST.  JOHN  III,  17-21 

17.  For  God  sent  not  his  Son  into  the  world,  to  judge  the  world,  but  that 
the  world  may  be  saved  by  him. 

18.  He  that  believeth  in  him  is  not  judged.  But  he  that  doth  not  believe,  is 
already  judged :  because  he  believeth  not  in  the  name  of  the  only  begotten  Son 
of  God. 

19.  And  this  is  the  judgment:  because  the  light  is  come  into  the  world,  and 
men  loved  darkness  rather  than  the  light :  for  their  works  were  evil. 

20.  For  every  one  that  doth  evil  hateth  the  light,  and  cometh  not  to  the 
light,  that  his  works  may  not  be  reproved. 

21.  But  he  that  doth  truth,  cometh  to  the  light,  that  his  works  may  be  made 
manifest,  because  they  are  done  in  God. 

Incarnation  and  death  of  Christ  are  unavailable  for  salvation,  un- 
less we  have  faith  in  Christ  and  His  teaching  and  order  our  lives 
according  to  His  teaching, 

17,  18.  In  these  verses  it  is  insisted  that  the  primary  purpose  of 
the  Incarnation  was  man's  Redemption,  but  that  the  fruits  of  the 
Redemption  cannot  be  shared  by  anyone  without  faith  in  Christ 
and  His  teaching.  If  men  do  not  believe  in  Christ  and  obey  His 
teaching  they  are  like  sick  people,  says  St.  Augustine,  who  prefer 
to  die  rather  than  make  use  of  the  services  and  remedies  of  a  phy- 
sician who  is  waiting  to  cure  them. 

19.  And  this  is  the  judgment,  etc. ;  i.e.,  this  is  the  cause  of  the 
judgment  or  condemnation  of  the  world;  of  those,  namely,  who 
do  not  believe,  that  they  have  not  faith,  but  prefer  darkness  to 
light. 

20.  Every  one  that  doth  evil,  etc. ;  i.e.,  every  one  who  sins  and 
prefers  to  live  in  his  sin  eschews  the  teaching  of  Christ,  lest  by 
that  teaching  he  should  find  himself  reproved  and  have  to  give 
up  his  sinful  life.  Works  are  here  mentioned,  which  shows 
that  faith  alone  without  works  is  not  all  that  is  required  (James 
ii.  14). 

21.  The  meaning  of  this  verse  is  uncertain.  The  sense  most 
probably  is,  that  he  who  does  his  best  to  live  righteously  comes  to 
the  light  of  faith  and  believes,  so  that  the  result  of  his  former 
goodness  is  a  proof  that  his  previous  works  were  "  done  in  God," 
i.e.,  were  the  effect  of  grace.  It  is  de  fide  from  the  Council  of 
Trent  that  faith  is  not  the  first  grace,  and  that  good  works  per- 
formed before  the  dawn  of  faith  are  the  result  of  grace.  The 
proposition,  "  Faith  is  the  first  grace,"  was  condemned  by  Pius  VI 
in  the  Bull  Auctorem  Fidei. 


ST.  JOHN  III,  22-28  429 

22.  After  these  things  Jesus  and  his  disciples  came  into  the  land  of  Judea: 
and  there  he  abode  with  them,  and  baptized. 

22^.  And  John  also  was  baptizing  in  Ennon  near  Salim ;  because  there  was 
much  water  there ;  and  they  came  and  were  baptized. 

24.  For  John  was  not  yet  cast  into  prison. 

25.  And  there  arose  a  question  between  some  of  John's  disciples  and  the 
Jews  concerning  purification  : 

26.  And  they  came  to  John,  and  said  to  him  :  Rabbi,  he  that  was  with  thee 
beyond  the  Jordan,  to  whom  thou  gavest  testimony,  behold  he  baptizeth,  and  ail 
men  come  to  him. 

27.  John  answered  and  said :  A  man  cannot  receive  any  thing,  unless  it  be 
given  him  from  heaven. 

28.  You  yourselves  do  bear  me  witness,  that  1  said,  I  am  not  Christ,  but 
that  I  am  sent  before  him. 


22.  After  our  Lord's  discourse  with  Nicodemus  at  Jerusalem, 
He  and  His  disciples  retired  from  the  city  of  Jerusalem  into  the 
country  districts  of  Judea. 

2T^.  Ennon  near  Salim.  Some  think  this  place  was  situated  in 
the  north-eastern  part  of  Samaria  about  eight  miles  south  of 
Scythopolis,  because  at  that  spot  there  were  many  springs,  and 
"  Ennon "  {^klviav)  is  from  an  Aramaic  word  meaning  springs. 
Others  prefer  to  believe  that  this  Ennon  was  on  the  southern  fron- 
tier of  Judea,  because  Josue  ( xv.  32 )  speaks  of  the  cities  of  Silhim- 
Ain  in  the  tribe  of  Juda.  More  probably  the  place  meant  is  indi- 
cated by  the  splendid  springs,  about  five  miles  south  of  Bethlehem, 
which  feed  the  basins  of  Solomon. 

24.  The  Evangelist  calls  attention  to  this  fact,  lest  we  should 
conclude  from  Matt.  (iv.  11,  12)  that  the  imprisonment  of  the 
Baptist  followed  immediately  after  the  forty  days'  fast  of  Christ  in 
the  desert.  This  shows  that  the  Gospel  of  St.  Matthew  was  known 
to  the  author  of  the  Fourth  Gospel. 

25,  26.  A  discussion  between  John's  disciples  and  some  of  the 
Jews  took  place  regarding  the  relative  merits  of  the  Baptism  of 
Christ  and  that  of  John.  Most  likely  John's  disciples  were  influ- 
enced by  jealousy,  because  their  master  was  being  eclipsed  by  the 
Christ. 

2/,  28.  John  answers  his  disciples  by  telling  them  that  his  mis- 
sion was  only  that  of  a  Precursor,  to  prepare  the  way  for  Christ, 
and  that  his  mission  is  now  fulfilled.  Which  being  so,  there  re- 
mains nothinsT  more   for  him  to  do.  because   it  is  not   lawful   for 


430  ST.  JOHN  III,  29-34 

29.  He  that  hath  the  bride,  is  the  bridegroom :  but  the  friend  of  the  bride- 
groom, who  standeth  and  heareth  him,  rejoiceth  with  joy  because  of  the 
bridegroom's  voice.    This  my  joy  therefore  is  fulfilled. 

30.  He  must  increase,  but  I  must  decrease. 

31.  He  that  cometh  from  above,  is  above  all.  He  that  is  of  the  earth,  of 
the  earth  he  is,  and  of  the  earth  he  speaketh.  He  that  cometh  from  heaven, 
is  above  all. 

32.  And  what  he  hath  seen  and  heard,  that  he  testifieth :  and  no  man 
receiveth  his  testimony. 

33.  He  that  hath  received  his  testimony,  hath  set  to  his  seal  that  God  is  true. 

34.  For  he  whom  God  hath  sent,  speaketh  the  words  of  God :  for  God  doth 
not  give  the  Spirit  by  measure. 

men  to  assume  spiritual  duties,  except  in  as  far  as  they  are  au- 
thorized to  do  so  by  proper  authority. 

29,  30.  It  was  customary  at  Jewish  weddings  to  have  a  friend 
of  the  bridegroom,  whose  duties  were  to  arrange  the  preliminary 
affairs  of  the  wedding  and  to  assist  and  minister  to  the  bridegroom 
at  the  marriage  feast.  John,  therefore,  speaks  of  himself  as  the 
friend  of  the  Bridegroom,  and  this  Bridegroom  is  Christ,  the  Spouse 
of  the  Church.  It  has  been  his  privilege,  therefore,  to  prepare  for 
the  coming  of  Christ  and  to  bear  witness  to  Him ;  which  done,  his 
own  mission  is  fulfilled.  It  is  only  natural,  consequently,  that 
Christ,  the  Bridegroom,  should  increase ;  and  that  John,  the  friend 
of  the  Bridegroom,  should  decrease. 

31.  The  meaning  of  this  verse  is,  that  he  that  comes  from  God, 
that  has  a  divine  origin,  such  as  Christ,  is  above  all  men  in  know- 
ledge and  dignity ;  whereas  he  that  comes  from  the  earth,  i.e.,  has 
only  a  natural  origin,  is  only  earthly  and  human  and  natural. 

32.  And  what  he  hath  seen  .  .  .  that  he  testifieth;  i.e.,  the 
teaching  which  Christ  has  given  to  the  world  was  what  He  had 
received  directly  and  immediately  from  the  Godhead,  since  He 
Himself  is  God ;  and  yet  there  were  very  few  among  the  Jews  who 
believed  Him.  This  verse  and  the  rest  of  the  chapter  are  most 
probably  a  continuation  of  the  Baptist's  words  giving  reasons  why 
Christ  must  increase. 

33.  The  meaning  is  that  he  who  accepts  the  teaching  of  Christ 
thereby  acknowledges  the  truthfulness  of  God  the  Father,  by  whom 
Christ  was  sent  into  the  world,  and  whose  doctrine  Christ  taught 
to  the  world. 

34.  For  he  whom  God  hath  sent,  etc. ;  i.e.,  Christ,  whom  God 


ST.  JOHN  III,  35-36;  IV,   1-3  431 

35-  The  Father  loveth  the  Son :  and  he  hath  given  all  things  into  his  hand. 
36.  He  that  believeth  in  the  Son,  hath  life  everlasting;  but  he  that  believeth 
not  the  Son,  shall  not  see  life;  but  the  wrath  of  God  abideth  on  him. 

the  Father  has  sent,  delivered  to  the  world  the  message  of  God 
the  Father. 

For  God  doth  not  give,  etc.  The  meaning  here  is,  that  to  Christ, 
as  God,  were  communicated  by  the  Father  in  an  infinite  degree  all 
the  perfections  of  the  gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  and  to  Christ  as 
man  were  communicated  the  same  perfections  in  so  far  as  human 
nature  was  capable  of  receiving  them.  Hence  of  Christ  as  man, 
St.  Paul  says  that  in  Him  were  concealed  all  the  treasures  of  wis- 
dom and  knowledge  (Coloss.  ii.  3). 

35,  36.  All  things  were  committed  by  the  Father  to  the  Son ; 
hence  he  who  would  have  life  everlasting  must  receive  it  from 
Christ  the  Son :  but  life  everlasting  is  given  only  on  condition  that 
one  have  faith  in  Christ  and  in  His  teaching.  They  are  still  in 
their  sins  who  believe  not  in  Christ.    Cf.  i  Cor.  xv.  17. 


CHAPTER   IV 

Jesus  Sets  Out  from  Judea  to  Galilee,  1-4. 
Jesus  Discourses  with  the  Woman  of  Samaria 

AT   SiCHAR,   5-26. 

The  Discourse  with  the  Disciples,  27-38. 
Jf^us  Stays  with  the  People  of  Sichar,  39-42. 
Jesus  Continues  His  Journey  into  Galilee,  and 
Heals  the  Ruler's  Son,  43-54. 

1.  When  Jesus  therefore  understood  that  the  Pharisees  had  heard  that  Jesus 
maketh  more  disciples,  and  baptizeth  more  than  John, 

2.  (Though  Jesus  himself  did  not  baptize,  but  his  disciples,) 

3.  He  left  Judea,  and  went  again  into  Galilee. 

1.  As  man,  our  Lord  appeared  to  learn  of  the  jealousy  and  envy 
of  the  Pharisees ;  but  as  God,  He  knew  it  from  the  beginning. 

2.  From  this  verse  we  must  not  infer  that  Jesus  Himself  never 
administered  Baptism,  but  only  that  it  was  His  custom  to  leave  this 
to  His  disciples,  as  also  did  St.  Paul  (i  Cor.  i.  14-16). 

3.  He  left  Judea.  This  was  the  second  time  that  our  Lord  jour- 
neyed  from  Judea  into  Galilee;  the  first   return  to  Galilee  is  re- 


432  ST.  JOHN  IV,  4-8 

4.  And  he  was  of  necessity  to  pass  through  Samaria. 

5.  He  Cometh  therefore  to  a  city  of  Samaria,  which  is  called  Sichar,  near 
the  land  which  Jacob  gave  to  his  son  Joseph. 

6.  Now  Jacob's  well  was  there.  Jesus  therefore  being  wearied  with  his 
journey,  sat  thus  on  the  well.    It  was  about  the  sixth  hour. 

7.  There  cometh  a  woman  of  Samaria,  to  draw  water.  Jesus  saith  to  her : 
Give  me  to  drink. 

8.  For  his  disciples  were  gone  into  the  city  to  buy  meats. 

corded  above  (i.  43).  The  reason  for  retiring  this  time  from  Judea 
was  in  order  not  to  arouse  before  the  appointed  time  the  final  op- 
position of  the  Pharisees,  which  was  to  end  in  the  Passion  and  death 
of  the  Saviour. 

4.  It  was  not  altogether  necessary  that  our  Lord  should  pass 
through  Samaria  in  going  from  Judea  into  Galilee,  although  that 
was  the  direct  and  natural  route.  He  could  have  crossed  the  Jor- 
dan, and  thus  entered  Galilee  through  Peraea  as  some  did  who 
wished  to  avoid  all  contact  with  the  Samaritans. 

5.  A  city  of  Samaria  which  is  called  Sichar.  The  territory  of 
Samaria  received  its  name  from  its  principal  city,  also  called 
Samaria.  Sichar  is  considered  by  modern  geographers  to  be  the 
same  as  the  present  Askar,  although  the  common  opinion  is  that 
Sichar  is  identical  with  ancient  Sichem,  now  called  Nabulus. 
Against  the  former  view  it  is  objected  that  a  clear  and  abundant 
stream  flows  through  Askar,  which  would  make  unintelligible  the 
woman's  coming  to  Jacob's  well  for  water ;  and  against  the  second 
view  it  is  similarly  objected  that  Sichem  contained  a  number  of 
flowing  springs  from  which  the  woman  could  have  drawn  water, 
and  that  Sichem  was  two  miles  distant  from  Jacob's  well.  Some, 
therefore,  prefer  to  believe  that  the  place  in  question  was  smaller 
than  Sichem  and  nearer  to  Jacob's  well. 

6.  Jacob's  well;  i.e.,  the  well  which  Jacob  dug  or  bought  while 
living  there.  Jacob  bought  land  there  and  erected  an  altar  (Gen. 
xxxiii.  18-20),  but  the  story  of  the  well  was  a  tradition  of  the 
Samaritans. 

Thus,  may  refer  to  the  posture  He  took  as  He  rested  there ;  or  it 
may  simply  mean,  "therefore."  The  sixth  hour;  i.e.,  about  mid- 
day, when  the  Jews  were  accustomed  to  take  rest  and  refreshments. 

7.  A  woman  of  Samaria;  i.e.,  from  the  country  called  Samaria, 
from  Sichar,  or  the  place  that  was  nearby. 


ST.  JOHN  IV,  9-15  433 

9.  Then  tliat  Samaritan  woman  saith  to  him  :  How  dost  thou,  being  a  Jew, 
ask  of  me  to  drink,  who  am  a  Samaritan  woman  ?  For  the  Jews  do  not  com- 
municate with  the  Samaritans. 

10.  Jesus  answered,  and  said  to  her:  If  thou  didst  know  the  gift  of  God, 
and  who  he  is  that  saith  to  thee,  Give  me  to  drink ;  thou  perhaps  wouldst  have 
asked  of  him,  and  he  would  have  given  thee  hving  water. 

11.  The  woman  saith  to  him:  Sir,  thou  hast  nothing  wherein  to  draw,  and 
the  well  is  deep;  from  whence  then  hadst  thou  living  water? 

12.  Art  thou  greater  than  our  father  Jacob,  who  gave  us  the  well,  and 
drank  thereof  himself,  and  his  children,  and  his  cattle? 

13.  Jesus  answered,  and  said  to  her :  Whosoever  drinketh  of  this  water, 
shall  thirst  again;  but  he  that  shall  drink  of  the  water  that  I  will  give  him, 
shall  not  thirst  for  ever  : 

14.  But  the  water  that  I  will  give  him,  shall  become  in  him  a  fountain  of 
water,  springing  up  into  life  everlasting. 

15.  The  woman  saith  to  him:  Sir,  give  me  this  water,  that  I  may  not  thirst, 
nor  come  hither  to  draw. 


9.  The  Samaritans  were  a  mixed  race  who  had  spnmg  from 
the  intermarrying  of  Jews  and  Assyrians  after  the  Assyrian  cap- 
tivity under  Salmanassar  (721  B.C.).  They  were  heartily  disliked 
by  the  Jews,  not  only  as  an  alien  race,  but  because  they  had  cor- 
rupted the  pure  worship  of  Jehovah,  and  also  because  of  their 
constant  opposition  to  the  Jews  and  the  Jewish  worship  of  God. 
Hence  there  was  no  intercourse  between  Jews  and  Samaritans. 

For  the  Jews  do  not  communicate,  etc.  These  are  the  words  of 
the  Evangelist,  added  for  the  instruction  of  his  non-Jewish  readers. 

10.  The  gift  of  God;  i.e.,  the  gift  of  sanctifying  grace.  The 
word  "perhaps"  is  not  expressed  in  the  Greek.  Living  water; 
i.e.,  life-giving  water,  as  opposed  to  stagnant  and  putrid  water. 
This  shows  the  difference  between  the  grace  which  Christ  would 
give  and  the  assistance  of  the  Old  Dispensation. 

11.  12.  The  woman  gently  upbraids  our  Lord  for  pretending, 
as  she  thinks,  to  be  greater  than  Jacob,  whom  the  Samaritans  also 
regarded  as  their  Father.  She  took  our  Lord's  words  literally,  and 
so  failed  to  get  their  real  meaning. 

13,  14.  These  words  of  our  Lord  show  that  sanctifying  grace 
is  of  itself  a  permanent  quality  of  the  soul,  which  sin  only  can 
expel,  and  further  that  it  is  the  beginning  or  germ  of  life  ever- 
lasting. 

15.  The  woman  still  misunderstands  the  meaning  of  the  living 
water  which  Christ  is  able  to  give. 


434  ST.  JOHN  IV,  16-21 

i6.  Jesus  saith  to  her:  Go,  call  thy  husband,  and  come  hither. 

17.  The  woman  answered,  and  said:  I  have  no  husband.  Jesus  said  to  her: 
Thou  hast  said  well,  I  have  no  husband  : 

18.  For  thou  hast  had  five  husbands :  and  he  whom  thou  now  hast,  is  not  thy 
husband.    This  thou  hast  said  truly. 

19.  The  woman  saith  to  him :  Sir,  I  perceive  that  thou  art  a  prophet. 

20.  Our  fathers  adored  on  this  mountain,  and  you  say,  that  at  Jerusalem  is 
the  place  where  men  must  adore. 

21.  Jesus  saith  to  her:  Woman,  believe  me,  that  the  hour  cometh,  when  you 
shall  neither  on  this  mountain,  nor  in  Jerusalem,  adore  the  Father. 

16-18.  We  have  here  another  proof  of  our  Lord's  supernatural 
knowledge  by  which  He  wished  to  manifest  Himself  to  this  woman 
as  the  Messiah.  The  woman  most  probably  was  separated  from  the 
husbands  whom  she  had  had,  not  by  one  dying  after  the  other,  but 
by  having  been  divorced  by  them  (Deut.  xxiv.  i,  2;  Matt.  xix.  3). 
Maldonatus  and  others  think  that  her  so-called  husbands  were  only 
paramours.  This  opinion,  however,  seems  not  in  accord  with  the 
obvious  meaning  of  the  text. 

19.  A  prophet;  i.e.,  one  who  was  able  to  know  things  naturally 
hidden  and  unknowable.  The  woman  did  not  mean  by  this  term 
to  designate  our  Lord  as  the  Messiah. 

20.  Our  fathers,  —  most  probably  she  had  in  mind  her  Assyrian 
ancestors;  some  think  she  meant  to  refer  to  the  forefathers  of  the 
Jews. 

Adored;  i.e.,  worshipped  in  public,  in  particular,  by  offering 
sacrifice.  It  was  only  the  offering  of  sacrifice,  and  not  private 
devotions  such  as  personal  prayer,  that  the  Jews  contended  should 
be  restricted  to  Jerusalem. 

This  mountain;  i.e.,  Mt.  Garizim,  overhanging  the  town  of 
Sichar.  The  Temple  on  Mt.  Garizim  was  built  about  330  b.c.  by 
the  king  of  Sichem,  for  Manasses,  a  Jewish  priest  who  had  mar- 
ried the  king's  daughter,  and  had,  in  consequence,  been  deprived 
of  the  exercise  of  his  office  among  the  Jews.  Sacrifice  was  offered 
in  this  temple  until  about  130  b.c.  when  the  temple  was  destroyed, 
after  which  sacrifice  continued  to  be  offered  on  Mt.  Garizim  on  an 
altar  erected  for  the  purpose  by  the  Samaritans. 

21.  That  the  hour  cometh,  and  was  already  come  (verse  23) 
when  the  worship  of  God  should  not  be  restricted  either  to  the  Jews 
or  to  the  Samaritans,  but  should  be  extended  to  the  whole  world. 


ST.  JOHN  IV,  22-25  43^ 

22.  You  adore  that  which  you  know  not:  wc  adore  that  which  we  know  • 
for  salvation  is  of  the  Jews.  Know, 

th^^Fl"'  '^'  ''°"''  "''T'^'  '"^  "°'"  '^'  "'hen  the  true  adorers  shall  adore 
the^Father  in  spint  and  ,n  truth.     For  the  Father  also  seeketh  such  to  adore 

in  ?ruth°''  ''  '  '"'"''  '""^  '^''  '''''  '^"'■^  '"'"•  ""^^  ^^^--^  him  in  spirit  and 

ChSt WhrreToT.  '"f  V'""  '■  '  '^"°"  *''*  ^'^  ^^^^'^^  ^°"^^*h  (who  is  called 
«^hrist)  ,  therefore,  when  he  is  come,  he  will  tell  us  all  things. 

22.  You  adore  that  which  you  know  not;  i.e.,  the  Samaritans' 
conception  of  God  was  an  ignorant  and  erroneous  one,  as  being 
more  or  less  mixed  up  with  false  ideas  of  the  Deitv  entertained 
by  their  Assyrian  ancestors.  The  pure  and  true  concept  of  God 
was  preserved  by  the  Jews  only. 

23.  In  spirit  and  in  truth.  There  are  several  interpretations  of 
these  words,  the  most  probable  of  which  are  the  following:   (a) 

in  spirit, '  I.e.,  in  reality,  and  not  merely  in  an  external,  cere- 
monial manner,  as  the  Jews  worshipped;  "in  truth."  ie  not 
falsely,  as  worshipped  the  Samaritans;  (b)  Maldonatus  and  others 
hold  that  "  m  spirit  and  in  truth  "  are  synonymous,  as  expressing 
true  supernatural  worship  which  springs  from  hearts  animated  by 
faith  and  assisted  by  grace.  The  distinguishing  marks  of  the  New 
Dispensation  are  that  it  is  to  be  universal,  not  restricted  to  the  Jews 
or  Samaritans  only,  but  extended  to  the  entire  world;  and  that 
It  is  to  be  spiritual,  from  the  heart  animated  by  faith  and  love 

24.  Must  adore  him  in  spirit;  i.e.,  their  worship  of  God  must 
come  from  the  heart  and  be  real,  not  merely  external,  as  was,  for 
the  most  part,  the  Jewish  worship.  From  these  words,  however 
It  by  no  means  follows  that  there  are  to  be  no  rites  and  ceremonies' 
in  the  Christian  form  of  worship,  as  is  evident  from  our  Lord's 
own  acts  (Luke  xxii.  41;  xxiv.  50). 

25.  The  knowledge  of  the  Messiah  and  of  His  speedy  comin- 
which  this  woman  had  must  have  come  from  the  Jews,  because  the 
Samaritans  admitted  only  the  Pentateuch,  wherein  the  term  "  Mes- 
siah "  does  not  occur  and  the  time  of  His  coming  is  not  designated 
It  IS  not  certain  whether  the  words.  "  who  is  called  Christ "  were 
uttered  by  the  woman  or  by  the  Evangelist.  St.  John  is  accu'stomed 
to  explain  such  terms  as  Messias  for  his  Gentile  readers.  Cf.  i 
41;  xi.  16;  XX.  24;  xxi.  2. 


436  ST.  JOHN  IV,  26-35 

26.  Jesus  saith  to  her :  I  am  he,  who  am  speaking  with  thee. 

27.  And  immediately  his  disciples  came;  and  they  wondered  that  he  talked 
with  the  woman.  Yet  no  man  said :  What  seekest  thou  ?  or,  why  talkest  thou 
with  her? 

28.  The  woman  therefore  left  her  water-pot,  and  went  her  way  into  the 
city,  and  saith  to  the  men  there : 

29.  Come,  and  see  a  man  who  has  told  me  all  things  whatsoever  I  have 
done.    Is  not  he  the  Christ? 

30.  They  went  therefore  out  of  the  city,  and  came  unto  him. 

31.  In  the  mean  time  the  disciples  prayed  him,  saying:  Rabbi,  eat. 

32.  But  he  said  to  them :  I  have  meat  to  eat,  which  you  know  not. 

33.  The  disciples  therefore  said  one  to  another :  Hath  any  man  brought  him 
to  eat? 

34.  Jesus  saith  to  them:  My  meat  is  to  do  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me, 
that  I  may  perfect  his  work. 

35.  Do  not  you  say,  There  are  yet  four  months,  and  then  the  harvest  Com- 
eth? Behold,  I  say  to  you,  lift  up  your  eyes,  and  see  the  countries;  for  they 
are  white  already  to  harvest. 


26,  27.  Hardly  had  our  Lord  declared  Himself  to  the  woman 
as  the  Messiah  when  the  disciples  returned  with  food.  They  were 
astonished  to  find  Him  discoursing  with  a  woman  —  a  thing  unusual 
with  Jewish  doctors.  According  to  an  ancient  rabbinical  prejudice 
woman  was  considered  absolutely  devoid  of  all  deep  religious 
refinement. 

28-30.  Forgetful  of  the  water  which  she  came  to  draw  the 
woman  dropped  her  waterpot  by  the  well  and  hastened  to  Sichar, 
or  to  the  village  whence  she  had  come,  to  announce  to  her  fellow 
citizens  the  presence  in  their  midst  of  one  whom  she  considered 
to  be  a  prophet,  and  possibly  the  Messiah. 

34,  My  meat  is  to  do  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me.  While  the 
disciples  were  urging  our  Lord  to  partake  of  the  material  food  they 
had  procured,  He  admonished  them  that  He  had  a  much  more  seri- 
ous duty  to  perform ;  namely,  to  do  the  will  of  His  heavenly 
Father,  which  at  that  particular  time  regarded  the  conversion  of 
the  Samaritans. 

35.  There  are  yet  four  months.  These  words  were  most  likely 
spoken  in  the  month  of  December  towards  the  end  of  the  first  year 
of  our  Lord's  public  life,  because  the  barley  harvest  in  Palestine  is 
around  the  last  of  April.  The  corn  was  ripe  in  May.  But  the  har- 
vest of  souls,  in  the  persons  of  the  Samaritans,  now  hastening  from 
the  village  to  see  and  hear  the  Master,  was  already  fit  for  the  sickle. 


ST.  JOHN  IV,  36-44  437 

36.  And  he  that  reapeth  receivetii  wages,  and  gathereth  fruit  unto  life  ever- 
lasting :  that  both  he  that  soweth,  and  he  that  reapeth,  may  rejoice  together. 

37.  For  in  this  is  the  saying  true :  That  it  is  one  man  that  soweth,  and  it  is 
another  that  reapeth. 

38.  I  have  sent  you  to  reap  that  in  which  you  did  not  labour :  others  have 
laboured,  and  you  have  entered  into  their  labours. 

39.  Now  of  that  city  many  of  the  Samaritans  believed  in  him,  for  the  word  of 
the  woman  giving  testimony :  He  told  me  all  things  whatsoever  I  have  done. 

40.  So  when  the  Samaritans  were  come  to  him,  they  desired  that  he  would 
tarry  there.    And  he  abode  there  two  days. 

41.  And  many  more  believed  in  him  because  of  his  own  word. 

42.  And  they  said  to  the  woman :  We  now  believe,  not  for  thy  saying :  for 
we  ourselves  have  heard  him,  and  know  that  this  is  indeed  the  Saviour  of  the 
world. 

43.  Now  after  two  days,  he  departed  thence,  and  went  into  Galilee. 

44.  For  Jesus  himself  gave  testimony  that  a  prophet  hath  no  honour  in  his 
own  country. 

36-38.  Our  Lord  now  consoles  His  disciples  by  telling  them  that, 
unlike  the  lots  of  the  earthly  sower  and  reaper,  who  oftentimes 
do  not  share  together  the  fruits  of  their  labors,  the  spiritual  sower 
and  the  spiritual  reaper  shall  in  Heaven  rejoice  in  their  mutual 
rewards. 

I  have  sent  you  to  reap,  etc.  These  words  most  probably  refer 
to  the  divine  decree  later  to  send  the  Apostles  on  their  mission ;  it 
is  not  probable  that  the  Apostles  had  already  received  their  formal 
call  (Matthew  iv.  18-22;  x.  i). 

Others  have  laboured,  etc.  By  these  words  are  to  be  understood 
not  only  the  prophets  and  doctors  who  had  prepared  Israel  for  the 
coming  of  the  Messiah,  but  also  Christ  and  His  teaching,  the  fruits 
of  which  the  Apostles  were  to  reap. 

39-41.  Not  only  did  many  of  the  Samaritans  believe  in  our  Lord 
because  of  what  the  woman  had  told  them,  but  many  more  believed 
in  Him  on  account  of  the  discourses  He  delivered  to  them  during 
the  two  days  He  tarried  there. 

42.  The  Saviour  of  the  world;  i.e.,  the  Redeemer  whose  salva- 
tion would  embrace  the  entire  human  race. 

44.  A  prophet  hath  no  honour,  etc.  In  these  words  our  Lord 
most  likely  was  assigning  the  reason  why  He  was  again  going  from 
Judea  to  Galilee.  Others  think  that  He  was  giving  the  reason  why 
He  had  previously  left  Galilee,  or  why  He  was  passing  by  Nazareth 
without  stopping  on  His  way  to  Capharnaum  (  Matthew  iv.  13). 


438  ST.  JOHN  IV,  45-54 

45-  And  when  he  was  come  into  Galilee,  the  Galileans  received  him,  having 
seen  all  the  things  he  had  done  at  Jerusalem  on  the  festival  day ;  for  they  also 
went  to  the  festival  day. 

46.  He  came  again  therefore  into  Cana  of  Galilee,  where  he  made  the  water 
wine.    And  there  was  a  certain  ruler,  whose  son  was  sick  at  Capharnaum. 

47.  He  having  heard  that  Jesus  was  come  from  Judea  into  Galilee,  went  to 
him,  and  prayed  him  to  come  down,  and  heal  his  son ;  for  he  was  at  the  point 
of  death. 

48.  Jesus  therefore  said  to  him ;  Unless  you  see  signs  and  wonders,  you  be- 
lieve not. 

49.  The  ruler  saith  to  him :  Lord,  come  down  before  that  my  son  die. 

50.  Jesus  saith  to  him :  Go  thy  way ;  thy  son  liveth.  The  man  believed  the 
word  which  Jesus  said  to  him,  and  went  his  way. 

51.  And  as  he  was  going  dov/n,  his  servants  met  him;  and  they  brought 
word,  saying,  that  his  son  lived. 

52.  He  asked  therefore  of  them  the  hour  wherein  he  grew  better.  And  they 
said  to  him :  Yesterday,  at  the  seventh  hour,  the  fever  left  him. 

53.  The  father  therefore  knew,  that  it  was  at  the  same  hour  that  Jesus  said 
to  him,  Thy  son  liveth;  and  himself  believed,  and  his  whole  house. 

54.  This  is  again  the  second  miracle  that  Jesus  did,  when  he  was  come  out 
of  Judea  into  Galilee. 

45.  The  Galileans  received  Him  with  much  enthusiasm  remem- 
bering- the  miracles  He  had  performed  in  their  presence  on  the 
previous  Pasch  at  Jerusalem.    Cf.  ii.  13,  23. 

46.  A  certain  ruler,  who  was  most  likely  one  of  the  officers  of 
Herod  Antipas,  tetrarch  of  Galilee.  The  ruler  very  likely  had 
witnessed  the  previous  miracle  at  Cana  (ii.  6-1 1). 

48.  Unless  you  see  signs  and  wonders.  Through  the  ruler  our 
Lord  now  upbraids  the  Galileans  for  the  slowness  and  weakness  of 
their  faith,  in  spite  of  the  miracles  they  had  already  witnessed  from 
Him. 

50.  Go  thy  way,  thy  son  liveth.  This  miracle  must  not  be  iden- 
tified with  that  recorded  by  Matt.  (viii.  5  ff.)  and  Luke  (vii.  2ff.), 
for  there  the  centurion's  servant  was  ill,  here  the  ruler's  son ;  there 
the  illness  was  paralysis,  here  fever ;  there  Christ  goes  to  the  sick 
man,  here  He  does  not  go. 

52.    The  seventh  hour;  i.e.,  about  i  p.m. 

54.  The  second  miracle.  The  cure  of  the  ruler's  son  was  the 
second  miracle  He  had  performed  in  Galilee,  the  first  being  the 
conversion  of  water  into  wine  at  Cana  (ii.  6-1 1). 


ST.  JOHN  V,  1-4  439 


CHAPTER   V 

Jesus  at  Jerusalem  Cures  a  Man  at  the  Pool  on 

THE  Sabbath  Day,  1-9. 
The  Opposition   and  Accusations  of  the  Jews, 

10-16. 
Jesus  Proclaims  His  Equality  with  the  Father, 

17-30. 
Jesus  is  Witnessed  to  by  John  the  Baptist,  by 

His  Miracles,  and  by  the  Prophecies  of  the 

Old  Testament,  31-47. 

1.  After  these  things  was  a  festival  day  of  the  Jews,  and  Jesus  went  up  to 
Jerusalem. 

2.  Now  there  is  at  Jerusalem  a  pond,  called  Probatica,  which  in  Hebrew  is 
named  Bethsaida,  having  five  porches. 

3.  In  these  lay  a  great  multitude  of  sick,  of  blind,  of  lame,  of  withered; 
waiting  for  the  moving  of  the  water. 

4.  And  an  angel  of  the  Lord  descended  at  certain  times  into  the  pond ;  and 
the  water  was  moved.  And  he  that  went  down  first  into  the  pond  after  the 
motion  of  the  water,  was  made  whole,  of  whatsoever  infirmity  he  lay  under. 

1.  A  festival  day,  which  was  most  probably  the  Pasch,  as  this 
would  correspond  with  what  our  Lord  had  said  shortly  before 
(iv.  35)  about  the  harvest  being  four  months  off.  Some  commen- 
tators, however,  understand  this  "  festival  day  "  to  have  been  Pente- 
cost, or  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  or  the  Purification  of  the  Temple, 
or  Purim. 

2.  Probatica,  —  in  the  Vulgate,  "  Probatica  piscina,"  means  a 
"sheep-gate"  (ttuXtj,  ^a/^,  being  luiderstood ) .  The  pond  was  called 
"  Probatica,"  because  it  was  near  this  sheep-gate  through  which 
the  sheep  destined  for  sacrifice  were  led.  Sheep  were  washed  in 
this  pond  or  pool  in  preparation  for  sacrifice. 

Bethsaida.  The  common  reading  is  *"  Bethesda,"  which  in  Ara- 
maic means  "  house  of  mercy,"  —  so  named  from  the  many  merciful 
cures  performed  there.  The  porches  were  open  on  the  sides, 
but  covered  overhead  to  protect  the  sick  from  the  sun  and  rain. 

4.  The  genuineness  of  this  verse,  together  with  "  waiting  for  the 
moving  of  the  water  "  (verse  3),  is  disputed;  but  while  the  passage 


440  ST.  JOHN  V,  5-13 

5.  And  there  was  a  certain  man  there,  that  had  been  eight  and  thirty  years 
under  his  infirmity. 

6.  Him  when  Jesus  had  seen  lying,  and  knew  that  he  had  been  now  a  long 
time,  he  saith  to  him :  Wilt  thou  be  made  whole? 

7.  The  infirm  man  answered  him :  Sir,  I  have  no  man,  when  the  water  is 
troubled,  to  put  me  into  the  pond.  For  whilst  I  am  coming,  another  goeth 
down  before  me. 

8.  Jesus  saith  to  him :  Arise,  take  up  thy  bed,  and  walk. 

9.  And  immediately  the  man  was  made  whole :  and  he  took  up  his  bed,  and 
walked.    And  it  was  the  sabbath  that  day. 

10.  The  Jews  therefore  said  to  him  that  was  healed:  It  is  the  sabbath;  it  is 
not  lawful  for  thee  to  take  up  thy  bed. 

11.  He  answered  them:  He  that  made  me  whole,  he  said  to  me.  Take  up 
thy  bed,  and  walk. 

12.  They  asked  him  therefore :  Who  is  that  man  who  said  to  thee.  Take  up 
thy  bed,  and  walk? 

13.  But  he  who  was  healed,  knew  not  who  it  was;  for  Jesus  went  aside 
from  the  multitude  standing  in  the  place. 

is  wanting  in  the  best  MSS.,  such  as  the  Vatican,  the  Sinaitic,  and 
others,  it  is  found  in  the  Itala,  the  Syriac,  the  Persian,  Coptic, 
Arabian,  etc.,  and  is,  consequently,  most  probably  genuine. 

That  the  efficacy  of  the  water  of  this  pond  was  miraculous  is 
evident  from  the  following  facts:  (a)  it  had  to  be  moved  by  an 
angel;  (b)  only  the  first  person  entering  was  cured;  (c)  the  cure 
was  immediate  and  complete;  (d)  it  cured  any  disease. 

5-9.  The  infirmity  of  the  sick  man  was  most  probably  paralysis, 
or  something  similar.  The  instantaneousness  and  completeness  of 
his  cure  proved  that  it  was  miraculous. 

When  we  read  in  the  Gospels  of  the  sick  being  told  to  take  up 
their  beds  and  walk  we  must  remember  that  the  beds  of  those  days, 
especially  of  the  poor,  were  of  a  very  light  framework,  often  con- 
sisting of  nothing  more  than  a  carpet  or  mattress.  So  it  was  in 
the  present  case. 

10.  It  is  not  lawful,  basing  their  contentions  on  the  authority  of 
Exod.  (xx.  8)  and  Jer.  (xvii.  21,  22). 

11.  The  cured  man  implied  by  his  answer  that  He  who  was  able 
to  heal  him  must  also  have  power  to  dispense  from  the  rest  of  the 
Sabbath.  The  Sabbath  was  of  the  positive,  and  not  of  the  natural 
law. 

13.  For  Jesus  went  aside,  —  according  to  a  more  correct  read- 
ing, "  for  Jesus  had  gone  aside,  there  being  a  crowd  in  the  place." 


ST.  JOHN  V,  14-20  441 

14.  Afterwards,  Jesus  findeth  him  in  the  temple,  and  saith  to  him:  Behold 
thou  art  made  whole :  sin  no  more,  lest  some  worse  thing  happen  to  thee. 

15.  The  man  went  his  way,  and  told  the  Jews,  that  it  was  Jesus  who  had 
made  him  whole. 

16.  Therefore  did  the  Jews  persecute  Jesus,  because  he  did  these  things  on 
the  sabbath. 

17.  But  Jesus  answered  them :  My  Father  worketh  until  now ;  and  I  work. 

18.  Hereupon  therefore  the  Jews  sought  the  more  to  kill  him,  because  he 
did  not  only  break  the  sabbath,  but  also  said  God  was  his  Father,  making 
himself  equal  to  God. 

19.  Then  Jesus  answered,  and  said  to  them  :  Amen,  amen,  I  say  unto  you, 
the  Son  cannot  do  any  thing  of  himself,  but  what  he  seeth  the  Father  doing: 
for  what  things  soever  he  doth,  these  the  Son  also  doth  in  like  manner. 

20.  For  the  Father  loveth  the  Son,  and  sheweth  him  all  things  which  himself 
doth :  and  greater  works  than  these  will  he  shew  him,  that  you  may  wonder. 

14.  Sin  no  more.  By  these  words  our  Lord  insinuated  that  the 
man's  previous  disease  had  been  the  result  of  sin ;  He  therefore 
cautions  him  against  sinning  in  the  future,  lest  something  more 
terrible  happen  to  him. 

17.  My  Father.  Notice  that  Jesus  said :  "  My  Father,''  showing 
that  He  was  the  natural  and  not,  as  other  men,  the  merely  adopted, 
son  of  God. 

Worketh  until  now,  etc. ;  i.e.,  continually,  on  the  Sabbath,  as 
well  as  on  other  days.  As  the  Father  from  the  beginning  of  crea- 
tion had  been  working,  i.e.,  conserving,  governing,  and  moving  all 
things  without  cessation,  so  the  Son,  who  is  identical  with  the  Father 
in  nature,  power,  and  operation,  works  continually,  on  the  Sabbath, 
as  on  other  days. 

18.  To  kill  him,  not  only  because  they  considered  that  He  had 
violated  the  Sabbath,  but  also,  and  especially  because  He  had  made 
Himself  equal  to  God.     Cf .  Deut.  xiii.  5 ;  Levit.  xxiv.  16. 

19.  From  this  verse  to  verse  30  our  Lord  is  proving  His  Divinity 
from  His  own  testimony,  which,  according  to  their  Law,  the  Jews 
ought  to  accept,  because  His  testimony  is  not  alone,  but  is  cor- 
roborated by  that  of  His  Father  also. 

The  Son  cannot  do  anything,  etc.  These  and  the  following 
words  show  the  perfect  equality  of  the  Father  and  the  Son  as  God ; 
they  both  do  the  same  thing  in  the  same  manner.  The  Son  cannot 
work  alone,  and  yet  He  is  not  dependent  on  the  Father,  for  He  and 
the  Father  are  one  (x.  30). 

20.  In  this  verse  we  have  assigned  the  reason  why  the  Father 


442  ST.  JOHN  V,  21-25 

31.  For  as  the  Father  raiseth  up  the  dead,  and  giveth  life :  so  the  Son  also 
giveth  life  to  whom  he  will. 

22.  For  neither  doth  the  Father  judge  any  man,  but  hath  given  all  judgment 
to  the  Son. 

2Z.  That  all  men  may  honour  the  Son,  as  they  honour  the  Father.  He 
who  honoureth  not  the  Son,  honoureth  not  the  Father,  who  hath  sent 
him. 

24.  Amen,  amen  I  say  unto  you,  that  he  who  heareth  my  word,  and  believ- 
eth  him  that  sent  me,  hath  life  everlasting;  and  cometh  not  into  judgment, 
but  is  passed  from  death  to  life. 

25.  Amen,  amen  I  say  unto  you,  that  the  hour  cometh,  and  now  is,  when 
the  dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God,  and  they  that  hear  shall 
live. 

from  eternity  has  communicated  to  the  Son  the  one  divine  power 
by  which  He  Himself  doth  all  things.  Greater  works;  i.e.,  the 
Father  is  about  to  show  through  the  Son  greater  works  than  the 
healing  of  the  paralytic,  "  in  order  that  you  may  believe." 

21.  One  of  the  greater  works  which  the  Father  will  show 
through  the  Son  will  be  the  raising  of  the  dead  to  life.  The 
reference  is  probably  to  the  corporal  resurrection  which  our  Lord 
afterwards  effected  in  the  person  of  Lazarus  and  the  son  of  the 
widow  of  Nairn,  etc.,  and  especially  to  the  spiritual  resurrection 
which  His  miracles  and  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  later  pro- 
duced. What  the  Father  does,  the  Son  does ;  there  is  perfect 
equality  of  power  and  oneness  of  nature  and  will  in  them  both, 
as  God. 

22.  For  neither  doth  the  Father  judge  any  man.  Another  of 
the  greater  works  which  the  Father  will  show  through  the  Son  is 
the  judgment  of  mankind.  From  all  eternity  the  Father  had  com- 
municated to  the  Son  the  power  of  judging  all  men,  which  power 
the  Son  was  to  exercise  visibly  as  man. 

23.  The  purpose  of  giving  to  the  Son  the  supreme  power  of 
judging  mankind  was  that  men  might  honor  the  Son  equally  with 
the  Father ;  hence  they  who  dishonor  the  Son,  dishonor  likewise 
the  Father. 

24.  Hath  life  everlasting;  i.e.,  they  who  believe  in  Christ  and 
practice  His  teaching  have  passed  from  a  state  of  sin  to  a  state  of 
grace,  which  is  the  beginning  of  life  everlasting. 

25.  When  the  dead  shall  hear  the  voice,  etc. ;  i.e.,  the  time  of 
the  resurrection  spoken  of  on  verse  2T  is  at  hand. 


ST.  JOHN  V,  26-34  443 

26.  For  as  the  Father  hath  life  in  himself,  so  he  hath  given  to  the  Son  also 
to  have  life  in  himself : 

27.  And  he  hath  given  him  power  to  do  judgment,  because  he  is  the  Son  of 
man. 

28.  Wonder  not  at  this;  for  the  hour  cometh,  wherein  all  that  are  in  the 
graves  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son  of  God. 

29.  And  they  that  have  done  good  things,  shall  come  forth  unto  the  resur- 
rection of  life;  but  they  that  have  done  evil,  unto  the  resurrection  of  judgment. 

30.  I  cannot  of  myself  do  any  thing.  As  I  hear,  so  I  judge:  and  my  judg- 
ment is  just;  because  I  seek  not  my  own  will,  but  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me. 

31.  If  I  bear  witness  of  myself,  my  witness  is  not  true. 

32.  There  is  another  that  beareth  witness  of  me;  and  I  know  that  the  wit- 
ness which  he  witnesseth  of  me  is  true. 

S3.  You  sent  to  John,  and  he  gave  testimony  to  the  truth. 
34.  But  I  receive  not  testimony  from  man :  but  I  say  these  things,  that  you 
may  be  saved. 

26.  Life  dwells  essentially  in  the  Father,  and  consequently  also 
in  the  Son,  who  is  equal  to  the  Father. 

27.  Power  to  do  judgment.  From  all  eternity  the  Son  had  been 
given  the  power  which  He  is  to  exercise  visibly  as  God-man  of 
judging  all  men  both  in  the  Particular  Judgment  and  in  the  Gen- 
eral Judgment. 

28.  All  that  are  in  the  graves.  These  words  refer  to  the  general 
resurrection  of  the  dead,  and  our  Lord  tells  the  Jews  that  in  virtue 
of  this  general  resurrection  of  the  flesh  they  ought  not  to  be  sur- 
prised at  the  spiritual  resurrection  of  which  He  had  just  been  speak- 
ing (verses  19-21). 

29.  From  this  verse  we  see  that  faith  without  works  does  not 
justify. 

30.  Our  Lord  again  asserts  His  inability  to  do  anything  of  Him- 
self alone,  because  of  His  identity  in  nature,  power,  operation,  and 
will  with  the  Father.  The  will  of  our  Lord,  as  God,  was  identical 
with  the  will  of  the  Father ;  and  His  human  will,  while  not  identical 
with  the  Father's,  was  ever  in  conformity  with  the  will  of  the 
Father. 

31.  The  meaning  of  this  verse  is  that  if  our  Lord's  testimony 
were  alone,  not  corroborated  by  His  Father's  also,  those  whom  He 
addressed  might  have  some  reason  for  rejecting  His  word,  in  par- 
ticular since  they  did  not  believe  in  His  Divinity. 

32.  In  verses  32-35  our  Lord  appeals  to  the  testimony  of  John 
the  Baptist  as  a  proof  of  His  Alessiahship,  not  that  He  needs  any 


444  ST.  JOHN  V,  35-40 

35.  He  was  a  burning  and  a  shining  light :  and  you  were  willing  for  a  time 
to  rejoice  in  his  light. 

36.  But  I  have  a  greater  testimony  than  that  of  John :  for  the  works  which 
the  Father  hath  given  me  to  perfect ;  the  works  themselves,  which  I  do,  give 
testimony  of  me,  that  the  Father  hath  sent  me. 

37.  And  the  Father  himself  who  hath  sent  me,  hath  given  testimony  of  me : 
neither  have  you  heard  his  voice  at  any  time,  nor  seen  his  shape. 

38.  And  you  have  not  his  word  abiding  in  you :  for  whom  he  hath  sent,  him 
you  believe  not. 

39.  Search  the  scriptures,  for  you  think  in  them  to  have  life  everlasting; 
and  the  same  are  they  that  give  testimony  of  me. 

40.  And  you  will  not  come  to  me  that  you  may  have  life. 

man's  testimony  (verse  34),  but  for  the  sake  of  the  Jews  who  re- 
garded John  as  a  prophet. 

35.  He  was  a  burning  and  a  shining  light.  The  Greek  has, 
"  He  was  the  lamp  that  burns  and  shines."  From  the  use  of  the 
past  tense  "  was  "  it  seems  that  the  Baptist  had  already  been  im- 
prisoned by  Herod  Antipas  (Mark  vi.  17-20.). 

36.  Here  our  Lord  appeals  to  a  greater  testimony  than  that  of 
John  in  proof  of  His  Divinity ;  namely,  the  testimony  of  His  own 
miracles. 

37-39.  In  these  verses  Christ  appeals  to  the  testimony  of  His 
Father  as  a  proof  of  His  Divinity. 

The  Father  .  .  .  hath  given  testimony  of  me.  When  did  the 
Father  bear  this  testimony  to  Christ  ?  St.  Chrysostom  and  a  Lapide 
say  it  was  at  the  time  of  our  Lord's  baptism.  Maldonatus  and 
others  hold  that  it  was  given  through  the  miracles  of  our  Lord. 
Others  beheve  that  the  reference  is  to  the  Father's  testimony  through 
the  Scriptures,  in  the  writings  of  Moses  and  the  prophets.  This 
last  opinion  seems  most  probable  in  view  of  verse  39. 

ifj.  Neither  have  you  heard  his  voice  at  any  time,  etc.  Some 
understand  this  to  mean  that  those  addressed  had  never  listened  to, 
or  heeded  the  voice  of  the  Father  speaking  to  them  through  the 
Scriptures;  others,  that  while  the  Father  had  borne  undoubted  tes- 
timony to  His  Son  through  the  Scriptures,  it  was  not  in  a  visible 
manner  so  that  He  could  be  seen  or  heard  by  them. 

39.  Search  the  scriptures,  etc.  Both  in  Latin  and  Greek  the 
construction  here  is  doubtful,  so  that  the  verb  might  be  understood 
either  in  the  indicative  or  imperative  mood.  From  the  context, 
however,  it  seems  quite  certain  that  the  form  is  indicative;  i.e., 


ST.  JOHN  V,  41-47  445 

41.  1  receive  not  glory  from  men. 

42.  But  I  know  you,  that  you  have  not  the  love  of  God  in  you. 

43.  I  am  come  in  the  name  of  my  Father,  and  you  receive  me  not :  if  an- 
other shall  come  in  his  own  name,  him  you  will  receive. 

44.  How  can  you  believe,  who  receive  glory  one  from  another :  and  the 
glory  which  is  from  God  alone,  you  do  not  seek? 

45.  Think  not  that  I  will  accuse  you  to  the  Father.  There  is  one  that  ac- 
cuseth  you,  Moses,  in  whom  you  trust. 

46.  For  if  you  did  believe  Moses,  you  would  perhaps  believe  me  also;  for  he 
wrote  of  me. 

47.  But  if  you  do  not  believe  his  writings,  how  will  you  believe  my  words? 

"  you  search,"  etc.,  and  this  is  the  opinion  of  the  best  modern  com- 
mentators even  among  the  Protestants.  But  even  though  the  sen- 
tence were  imperative  we  must  remember  that  it  was  addressed 
only  to  the  Jewish  teachers,  and  that  in  respect  to  one  point  only ; 
namely,  the  fulfillment  <  if  prophecy  in  regard  to  our  Lord.  Hence 
the  inference  of  many  Protestants,  that  from  this  verse  we  have  a 
precept  to  read  the  Scriptures  for  the  purpose  of  forming  our  own 
opinions  and  private  judgments,  is  false. 

41.  The  meaning  here  is  that  our  Lord  is  not  seeking  His  own 
glory,  but  the  salvation  of  the  Jews. 

42.  The  reason  why  the  Jews  did  not  believe  our  Lord  was  be- 
cause they  had  not  the  love  of  God  in  their  hearts. 

43.  The  truth  of  this  verse  was  verified,  as  we  know,  because 
many  false  Christs  who  appeared  before  the  destruction  of  Jeru- 
salem actually  obtained  a  following  among  the  Jews  (Matthew 
xxiv.  24). 

44.  The  vanity  and  pride  of  the  Jews  was  another  reason  for 
their  unbelief  in  our  Lord. 

45-47.  Here  our  Lord  tells  the  Jews  that  it  will  not  be  necessary 
for  Him  to  accuse  them  to  the  Father,  since  they  are  already  ac- 
cused by  the  Lawgiver,  Moses,  whom  they  profess  to  believe,  but 
whose  writings  regarding  our  Lord  they  did  not  accept. 


446  ST.  JOHN  VI,  1 


CHAPTER  VI 

Jesus  Crosses  to  the  Eastern  Shore  of  the  Lake, 

AND  THERE  MIRACULOUSLY  FeEDS  FiVE  THOUSAND, 

Jesus  Withdraws  from  the  Multitude,  who 
WOULD  Make  Him  King,  14,  15. 

Jesus  Walks  on  the  Waters,  16-21. 

The  Next  Day  the  Multitudes  Cross  to  the 
Western  Shore  of  the  Lake  and  Enter 
Capharnaum  where  Jesus  in  the  Synagogue 
Discourses  to  them  on  the  Blessed  Eucha- 
rist, 22-60. 

The  Disciples  Murmur  at  Our  Lord's  Discourse; 
He  Replies  and  Permits  them  to  Depart, 
61-67. 

Peter's  Noble  Confession,  68-70. 

Jesus  Refers  to  a  Wicked  Apostle,  71,  72. 

I.  After  these  things  Jesus  went  over  the  sea  of  Galilee,  which  is  that  of 
Tiberias. 

I.  After  these  things.  If  we  accept  the  festival  day,  spoken  of 
in  V.  I  as  the  Pasch,  or  as  the  Feast  of  Pentecost,  nearly  a  year  inter- 
vened between  the  events  narrated  in  this  and  the  preceding  chapter. 
St.  John  passes  over  the  events  of  that  year,  or  ten  months,  because 
they  had  aheady  been  recorded  by  the  Synoptists.  See  Luke  iv. 
14-ix.  10. 

Sea  of  Galilee.  In  the  last  chapter  our  Lord  was  at  Jerusalem, 
now  we  find  Him  on  the  shores  of  the  Lake  of  Genesareth,  in  the 
eastern  part  of  Galilee.  The  Jews  called  every  large  body  of  water 
a  sea ;  this  lake,  or  sea,  was  also  called  the  "  Sea  of  Tiberias  "  from 
the  town  of  Tiberias,  built  on  its  western  shore  by  Herod  Antipas, 
and  called  after  Tiberius,  the  Roman  Emperor. 

It  is  worthy  of  remark  that  in  the  present  chapter  (verses  1-21) 
St.  John  for  the  second  time  gives  the  same  account  as  the  Synoptists 
(Matthew  xiv.   13-36;  Mark  vi.  30-56;  Luke  ix.   10-17).     There 


ST.  JOHN  VI,  2-13  447 

2.  And  a  great  multitude  followed  him,  because  they  saw  the  miracle* 
which  he  did  on  them  that  were  diseased. 

3.  Jesus  therefore  went  up  into  a  mountain,  and  there  he  sat  with  his 
disciples. 

4.  Now  the  pasch,  the  festival  day  of  the  Jews,  was  near  at  hand. 

5.  When  Jesus  therefore  had  lifted  up  his  eyes,  and  seen  that  a  very  great 
multitude  cometh  to  him,  he  said  to  Philip :  Whence  shall  we  buy  bread,  that 
these  may  eat? 

6.  And  this  he  said  to  try  him ;  for  he  himself  knew  what  he  would  do. 

7.  Philip  answered  him :  Two  hundred  pennyworth  of  bread  is  not  suffi- 
cient for  them,  that  every  one  may  take  a  little. 

8.  One  of  his  disciples,  Andrew,  the  brother  of  Simon  Peter,  saith  to  him : 

9.  There  is  a  boy  here  that  hath  five  barley  loaves,  and  two  fishes ;  but  what 
are  these  among  so  many? 

10.  Then  Jesus  said:  Make  the  men  sit  down.  Now  there  was  much  grass 
in  the  place.    The  men  therefore  sat  down,  in  number  about  five  thousand. 

11.  And  Jesus  took  the  loaves ;  and  when  he  had  given  thanks,  he  distributed 
to  them  that  were  set  down.  In  like  manner  also  of  the  fishes,  as  much  as 
they  would. 

12.  And  when  they  were  filled,  he  said  to  his  disciples :  Gather  up  the  frag- 
ments that  remain,  lest  they  be  lost. 

13.  They  gathered  up  therefore,  and  filled  twelve  baskets  with  the  frag- 
ments of  the  five  barley  loaves,  which  remained  over  and  above  to  them  that 
had  eaten. 

are  sufficient  divergences  in  details  to  show  the  independence  of 
each  account,  but  the  main  points  and  final  result  are  the  same  in 
all  four  Evangelists,  —  there  are  crowds  following  Jesus  into  the 
desert,  the  five  thousand  men,  the  five  loaves  and  two  fishes,  the 
twelve  baskets  of  fragments,  etc. 

For  the  first  parallel  account  between  St.  John  and  the  Synoptists 
see  John  iv.  1-3;  Matt.  iv.  12;  Mark  i.  14,  15;  Luke  iv.  14. 

2.    See  on  Matthew  xiv.  13. 

4.  The  pasch,  which  was  the  second  or  third  Pasch  of  our  Lord's 
public  life,  according  to  the  view  one  takes  of  v.  i.  If  the  feast 
there  mentioned  was  the  Pasch,  this  would  be  the  third  Pasch  of 
our  Lord's  public  life ;  if  it  was  some  other  festival  within  the  year 
following  the  first  Pasch  (ii.  13),  this  would  be  the  second  Passover 
of  the  public  ministry.     See  Harmony  of  the  Gospels,  page  536. 

5-16.    See  on  Matthew  xiv.  15-22. 

7.  Two  hundred  pennyworth;  i.e.,  two  hundred  denarii.  The 
denarius  was  a  Roman  silver  coin  worth  in  our  Lord's  time  about 
17  cents.  Hence  the  sum  mentioned  by  Philip  would  be  about 
$34.00.     This  was  not  much  for  so  great  a  multitude. 


448  ST.  JOHN  VI,  14-26 

14.  Now  those  men,  when  they  had  seen  what  a  miracle  Jesus  had  done, 
said :  This  is  of  a  truth  the  prophet,  that  is  to  come  into  the  world. 

15.  Jesus  therefore,  when  he  knew  that  they  would  come  to  take  him  by 
force,  and  make  him  king,  fled  again  into  the  mountain  himself  alone. 

16.  And  when  evening  was  come,  his  disciples  went  down  to  the  sea. 

17.  And  when  they  had  gone  up  into  a  ship,  they  went  over  the  sea  to 
Capharnaum ;  and  it  was  now  dark,  and  Jesus  was  not  come  unto  them. 

18.  And  the  sea  arose,  by  reason  of  a  great  wind  that  blew. 

19.  When  they  had  rowed  therefore  about  five  and  twenty  or  thirty  fur- 
longs, they  see  Jesus  walking  upon  the  sea,  and  drawing  nigh  to  the  ship,  and 
they  were  afraid. 

20.  But  he  saith  to  them :  It  is  I ;  be  not  afraid. 

21.  They  were  willing  therefore  to  take  him  into  the  ship;  and  presently 
the  ship  was  at  the  land  to  which  they  were  going. 

22.  The  next  day,  the  multitude  that  stood  on  the  other  side  of  the  sea,  saw 
that  there  was  no  other  ship  there  but  one,  and  that  Jesus  had  not  entered  into 
the  ship  with  his  disciples,  but  that  his  disciples  were  gone  away  alone. 

23.  But  other  ships  came  in  from  Tiberias ;  nigh  unto  the  place  where  they 
had  eaten  the  bread,  the  Lord  giving  thanks. 

24.  When  therefore  the  multitude  saw  that  Jesus  was  not  there,  nor  his  dis- 
ciples, they  took  shipping,  and  came  to  Capharnaum,  seeking  for  Jesus. 

25.  And  when  they  had  found  him  on  the  other  side  of  the  sea,  they  said 
to  him:  Rabbi,  when  camest  thou  hither? 

26.  Jesus  answered  them,  and  said :  Amen,  amen  I  say  to  you,  you  seek  me, 
not  because  you  have  seen  miracles,  but  because  you  did  eat  of  the  loaves,  and 
were  filled. 

14.  The  prophet;  i.e.,  the  Messiah  so  long  expected. 

17.  St.  Matthew  (xiv.  22)  tells  us  that  immediately  after  the 
miracle  Jesus  told  His  disciples  to  go  before  Him  across  the  'ake, 
while  He  dismissed  the  crowd. 

18-21.    See  on  Matthew  xiv.  24-33. 

19.  Five  and  twenty  or  thirty  furlongs.  The  Vulgate  has 
"  Stadia  viginti  quinque  aut  triginta."  The  furlong  is  about  660 
feet ;  the  stadium  equals  625  feet.  Hence  the  disciples  had  rowed 
about  three  miles,  when  they  saw  our  Lord  coming  to  them  walk- 
ing on  the  water.  It  was  perhaps  about  4  a.m.,  as  the  fourth  watch 
of  the  night  was  from  3  to  6  a.m. 

21.  They  were  willing  therefore  to  take  him  into  the  ship. 
St.  Mark  (vi.  51)  tells  us  that  they  actually  took  Him  into  the 
boat. 

22-24.  The  morning  following  the  multiplication  of  the  loaves 
the  crowd  sought  our  Lord  on  the  east  side  of  the  lake,  thinking 
Him  still  to  be  there,  since  He  did  not  leave  by  the  only  boat  which 


ST.  JOHN  VI,  27  449 

27.  Labour  not  for  the  meat  which  perisheth,  but  for  that  which  endrreth 
unto  life  everlasting,  which  the  Son  of  man  will  give  you.  For  him  hath  God, 
the  Father,  sealed. 

left  there  the  previous  evening.  But  not  finding  Him  on  the  east 
side  they  came  across  to  the  west,  and  looked  for  Him  at  Caphar- 
naum,  His  usual  stopping  place. 

2^.  Although  it  is  not  de  fide  that  there  is  reference  to  the 
Blessed  Eucharist  in  this  chapter,  it  is  nevertheless  certain.  Most 
Protestant  commentators  hold  that  there  is  reference  here  to  the 
reception  of  our  Lord  only  through  faith  in  Him  and  His  doc- 
trine ;  and  those  of  them  who  do  admit  that  in  the  present  chapter 
we  have  a  reference  to  the  Eucharist  say  that  Christ  is  only  spirit- 
ually present  in  this  sacrament. 

Against  the  f.rst  class  the  following  may  be  said:  (a)  if  there 
is  no  mention  of  the  Eucharist  in  this  chapter,  it  is  entirely  omitted 
by  St.  John  —  a  thing  very  improbable;  (b)  Christ  speaks  iiere 
of  a  food  that  is  to  be  given  in  the  future,  whereas  His  person 
and  doctrine  had  already  been  given;  (c)  His  hearers  understood 
Him  to  speak  of  the  real  eating  of  His  real  flesh  (verse  61),  and 
being  consequently  offended  they  turned  away  from  Him  (verse  67). 

Against  the  second  class  we  may  observe:  (a)  Christ  compares 
(verses  49,  50,  59)  the  bread  which  He  will  give  to  the  manna  of 
the  desert,  which  was  real,  and  was  really  eaten;  (b)  at  the  mur- 
murings  of  the  Jews  (verse  53)  our  Lord  only  insisted  the  more 
that  His  flesh  was  truly  meat  and  His  blood  truly  drink  (verses 
54-59)  ;  (c)  both  the  Jews  and  the  disciples  understood  our  Lord's 
words  in  their  proper  literal  meaning,  as  is  evident  from  the  whole 
context ;  and  yet  instead  of  softening  or  explaining  His  words  the 
Saviour  only  insists  more  strongly  that  He  will  give  His  real  flesh 
and  blood  to  eat  and  drink,  and  that  it  is  necessary  to  eat  and  drink 
His  flesh  and  blood.  So  much  does  He  emphasize  this  point  that 
finally  some  of  His  disciples  turned  for  good  away  from  Him 
(verse  67).  On  similar  occasions  of  grave  moment,  when  the  dis- 
ciples failed  to  grasp  the  real  meaning  of  His  words,  or  when  His 
hearers  were  displeased  at  the  plain  sense  of  His  speech.  He  would 
either  explain,  as  in  John  iii.  3-8;  Matt.  xvi.  6-12;  or  He  would 
insist  the  more,  as  in  John  viii.  51-59;  Matt.  ix.  2-7.  (d)  It  is  the 
unanimous  consent  of  the  Holy  Fathers,  with  very  few  exceptions, 


450  ST.  JOHN  VI,  27 

that  our  Lord's  words  regarding  the  Eucharist  in  this  chapter  are 
to  be  taken  literally. 

While,  therefore,  there  is  reference  in  the  present  chapter  to  the 
Blessed  Eucharist,  and  while  the  words  of  Christ  relative  to  the 
giving  of  His  body  and  blood  under  the  form  of  bread  and  wine 
are  to  be  taken  in  a  literal,  and  not  in  a  metaphorical  sense,  all  do 
not  agree  just  where  in  the  chapter  this  reference  to  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  begins.  The  majority  of  Catholic  commentators  hold 
that  it  begins  at  verse  48;  others,  at  verse  51 ;  and  still  others,  at 
verse  52.  It  seems  more  probable,  however,  that  the  reference  to 
the  Blessed  Eucharist  is  made,  at  least  in  a  general  way,  in  verse 
27,  because:  (a)  our  Lord  in  this  verse  speaks  of  a  food  which 
is  to  be  given;  (b)  for  this  food  promised  in  verse  27  faith  is  a 
necessary  preparation  (verse  29)  ;  (c)  the  properties  attributed  in 
verses  32,  33  to  this  bread  are  the  same  as  those  spoken  of  in  verse 
59;  but  all  admit  that  there  is  a  real  reference  to  the  Eucharist  in 
verse  59. 

This  whole  present  chapter,  therefore,  falls  naturally  into  three 
general  parts:  —  in  the  first  part  (verses  1-25)  are  described  the 
miracles  of  the  multiplication  of  the  loaves  and  the  walking  on  the 
water,  which  being  an  exhibition  of  our  Lord's  power,  were  cal- 
culated to  dispose  the  minds  of  the  Jews  for  belief  in  His  promise 
of  the  Blessed  Eucharist;  the  second  part  (verses  26-60)  contains 
the  discourse  of  our  Lord  about  the  Eucharist,  introduced  by  verse 
26;  and  the  third  part  (verses  61-72)  describes  the  effects  of  this 
discourse. 

The  second  part  of  the  chapter  (verses  26-60),  which  gives  the 
discourse  on  the  Blessed  Eucharist,  may  also  be  divided  into  three 
parts:  —  the  first  part  (verses  26-34)  is  introductory  to  the  explicit 
promise  of  the  Blessed  Eucharist,  giving  this  promise  in  a  general 
way  (verse  27)  and  exhorting  the  Jews  to  seek  after  a  spiritual 
food;  in  the  second  part  (verses  35-47)  our  Lord  asserts  that  He 
is  the  bread  of  life  in  the  sense  that  all  who  wish  to  be  saved  must 
believe  in  Him;  and  in  the  third  part  (48-59)  the  Saviour  explicitly 
declares  that  He  is  the  bread  of  life,  inasmuch  as  He  will  give  us 
His  flesh  to  eat  and  His  blood  to  drink. 

There  is,  then,  in  the  present  chapter:  (a)  a  distinct  reference  to 
the  Blessed  Eucharist;  (b)  this  reference  begins  in  a  general  way 


ST.  JOHN  VI,  28-37  45 1 

28.  They  said  therefore  unto  him  :  What  shall  we  do,  that  we  may  work  the 
works  of  God? 

29.  Jesus  answered,  and  said  to  them  :  This  is  the  work  of  God,  that  you 
believe  in  him  whom  he  hath  sent. 

30.  They  said  therefore  to  him :  What  sign  therefore  dost  thou  shew,  that 
we  may  see,  and  may  believe  thee?    What  dost  thou  work? 

31.  Our  fathers  did  eat  manna  in  the  desert,  as  it  is  written  :  He  gave  them 
bread  from  heaven  to  eat. 

32.  Then  Jesus  said  to  them :  Amen,  amen  I  say  to  you ;  Moses  gave  you 
not  bread  from  heaven,  but  my  Father  giveth  you  the  true  bread  from  heaven. 

3;^.  For  the  bread  of  God  is  that  which  cometh  down  from  heaven,  and  giv- 
eth life  to  the  world. 

34.  They  said  therefore  unto  him  :  Lord,  give  us  always  this  bread. 

35.  And  Jesus  said  to  them :  I  am  the  bread  of  life :  he  that  cometh  to  me 
shall  not  hunger :  and  he  that  believeth  in  me  shall  never  thirst. 

36.  But  I  said  unto  you,  that  you  also  have  seen  me,  and  you  believe  not. 

37.  All  that  the  Father  giveth  to  me  shall  come  to  me ;  and  him  that  cometh 
to  me,  I  will  not  cast  out. 


in  verse  27,  but  is  continued  more  explicitly  and  clearly  in  verse  48 ; 
(c)  the  words  of  our  Lxird  in  verses  48-59  at  least,  are  to  be 
understood  in  a  real  literal  sense,  as  promising  to  give  His  real 
flesh  and  blood  as  food  and  drink  for  the  life  of  the  world. 

For  him  hath  God  the  Father  sealed.  The  meaning  is  that  only 
our  Lord,  the  Son  of  Man,  is  able  to  give  the  food  which  nourisheth 
unto  life  everlasting,  because  on  Him  God  the  Father  has  impressed 
the  seal  of  Divinity. 

28,  29.  In  order  to  get  this  food  our  Lord  tells  the  Jews  that  they 
must  believe  in  Him. 

30-33.  The  Jews  now  ask  the  Saviour  to  give  them  a  sign  by 
which  they  can  believe  in  Him,  and  they  indirectly  refer  to  the 
recent  multiplication  of  the  loaves  as  if  that  were  not  to  be  com- 
pared with  the  manna  which  Moses  gave  them  and  their  whole 
race  for  forty  years  in  the  desert.  But  our  Lord  corrects  their 
assertion  by  telling  them  that  it  was  not  Moses,  but  His  Father, 
who  gave  them  the  manna,  and  that  the  Father  also  has  given  them 
the  true  bread  from  Heaven  by  giving  them  His  Son  in  the  In- 
carnation, and  that  now  the  Son  Himself  is  soon  to  give  them  a 
bread  more  real  and  perfect  than  the  manna,  which  will  sustain 
not  only  one  people  for  a  temporal  existence,  but  the  whole  world 
unto  life  everlasting. 

34-37.    Still  understanding  our  Lord's  words  in  a  material  sense. 


452  ST.  JOHN  VI,  38-46 

38.  Because  I  came  down  from  heaven,  not  to  do  my  own  will,  but  the  will 
of  him  that  sent  me. 

39.  Now  this  is  the  will  of  the  Father  who  sent  me :  that  of  all  that  he  hath 
given  me,  I  should  lose  nothing ;  but  should  raise  it  up  again  in  the  last  day. 

40.  And  this  is  the  will  of  my  Father  that  sent  me :  that  every  one  who 
seeth  the  Son,  and  believeth  in  him,  may  have  life  everlasting,  and  I  will  raise 
him  up  in  the  last  day. 

41.  The  Jews  therefore  murmured  at  him,  because  he  had  said  :  I  am  the 
living  bread  which  came  down  from  heaven. 

42.  And  they  said :  Is  not  this  Jesus,  the  son  of  Joseph,  whose  father  and 
mother  we  know?    How  then  saith  he,  I  came  down  from  heaven? 

43.  Jesus  therefore  answered,  and  said  to  them :  Murmur  not  among  your- 
selves. 

44.  No  man  can  come  to  me,  except  the  Father,  who  hath  sent  me,  draw 
him;  and  I  will  raise  him  up  in  the  last  day. 

45.  It  is  written  in  the  prophets :  And  they  shall  all  be  taught  of  God. 
Every  one  that  hath  heard  of  the  Father,  and  hath  learned,  cometh  to  me. 

46.  Not  that  any  man  hath  seen  the  Father ;  but  he  who  is  of  God,  he  hath 
seen  the  Father. 

the  Jews  asked  Him  to  give  them  this  wonderful  bread,  but  the 
Saviour  immediately  tells  them  that  this  bread  is  to  be  Himself, 
and  that  faith  in  Him  is  required  for  a  fruitful  reception  of  this 
bread. 

38-40.  In  these  verses  our  Lord  declares  that  He  has  come  into 
the  world  to  do  the  will  of  His  Father,  and  that  will  is  that  He 
should  save  all  those  who  believe  in  Him,  and  who  order  their  lives 
in  accordance  with  their  belief. 

41-43.  The  Jews,  or  at  least  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  among 
them,  resented  our  Lord's  claim  that  He  was  the  living  bread  come 
down  from  Heaven. 

44,  45.  Our  Lord  declares  that  no  one  can  come  to  Him,  i.e., 
believe  in  Him,  except  he  be  given  grace.  The  necessity,  therefore, 
of  prevenient  and  assisting  grace  for  faith  is  here  plainly  declared. 
The  word  for  "  draw  "  (eXKvetv)  here  used,  does  not  mean  that 
violence  is  used,  but  only  that  an  effective  influence  is  exerted  on 
the  will. 

And  they  all  shall  be  taught  of  God.  This  is  substantially  from 
Isaias  (liv.  13),  and  the  meaning  is  that  people  are  drawn  to  faith 
only  by  God,  i.e.,  by  an  illumination  of  the  intellect  and  a  motion 
of  the  will. 

46.  Lest  the  Jews  should  say  that  they  had  not  learned  from 
God,  because  they  had  not  seen  Him,  our  Lord  here  tells  them  that 


ST.  JOHN  VI,  47-52  453 

47.  Amen,  amen  I  say  unto  you:  He  that  believeth  in  me,  hath  everlasting 
hfe. 

48.  I  am  the  bread  of  hfe. 

49-  Your  fathers  did  eat  manna  in  the  desert,  and  are  dead. 

50.  This  is  the  bread  which  cometh  down  from  heaven;  that  if  any  man 
eat  of  it,  he  may  not  die. 

51.  I  am  the  living  bread  which  came  down  from  heaven. 

52.  If  any  man  eat  of  this  bread,  he  shall  live  for  ever;  and  the  bread  that 
1  will  give,  is  my  flesh,  for  the  life  of  the  world. 

He  Himself  hath  seen  the  Father,  and  that  in  seeing  Him  and  hear- 
ing Him,  they  see  and  hear  the  Father  also. 

47.  Here  again  our  Lord  insists  on  the  necessity  of  faith  in  Him 
as  a  means  of  worthily  receiving  the  bread  which  nourishes  unto 
life  everlasting. 

48-51.  Now  our  Lord  resumes  His  discourse  about  the  Blessed 
Eucharist  which  He  had  begun  in  a  general  way  in  verse  2,y,  but 
which  was  interrupted  by  the  question  of  the  Jews  in  verse  28. 
Now  He  says  in  explicit  terms  that  He  is  the  living  bread  which 
has  come  down  from  Heaven,  unlike  the  manna  which  was  rained 
down  from  the  clouds  and  which  did  not  preserve  unto  life  ever- 
lasting. 

52.  Up  to  this  verse  our  Lord  has  been  declaring  that  He  is  the 
bread  of  life,  and  that  in  order  to  receive  Him  worthily,  faith  is 
necessary ;  but  here  He  states  the  manner  in  which  He  is  to  be  the 
bread  of  life;  namely,  by  giving  His  flesh  and  blood  to  be  eaten 
and  drunk.  Our  Lord  here  attains  the  climax  of  His  discourse, 
which  has  been  gradually  rising  to  the  present  point.  In  verses  33, 
35,  41,  and  45,  especially.  He  insists  that  He  is  the  living  bread, 
and  that  if  men  wish  to  live  they  must  come  to  Him,  i.e.,  they  must 
believe  in  Him.  In  verses  48  and  50  He  repeats  that  He  is  the  liv- 
ing bread,  and  goes  on  to  say  that  if  men  will  live  they  must  eat 
this  bread:  and  eat  here  must  be  taken  literally,  for  eating  in 
Scripture  never  means  believing.  Finally  in  verses  52  and  53  He 
declares  that  the  bread  that  He  will  give  is  His  flesh,  and  that  if 
men  will  live  they  must  eat  His  iiesh.  And  to  eat  His  tlesh  can 
only  be  taken  literally,  because  to  eat  one's  flesh  figuratively  has  only 
a  bad  meaning  in  Scrij>ture;  namely,  to  do  one  an  injury,  as  in 
Ps.  xxvi.  2;  Job  xix.  22:  Mich.  iii.  3:  Gal.  v.  15. 

In  the  latter  part  of  this  verse  many  Greek  MSS.  read :  "  and  the 


454  ST.  JOHN  VI,  53-58 

53.  The  Jews  therefore  strove  among  themselves,  saying:  How  can  this 
man  give  us  his  flesh  to  eat? 

54.  Then  Jesus  said  to  thein :  Amen,  amen  I  say  unto  you :  Except  you  eat 
the  flesh  of  the  Son  of  man,  and  drink  his  blood,  you  shall  not  have  life  in 
you. 

55.  He  that  eateth  my  flesh,  and  drinketh  my  blood,  hath  everlasting  life : 
and  I  will  raise  him  up  in  the  last  day. 

56.  For  my  flesh  is  meat  indeed :  and  my  blood  is  drink  indeed. 

57.  He  that  eateth  my  flesh,  and  drinketh  my  blood,  abideth  in  me,  and  I  in 
him. 

58.  As  the  living  Father  hath  sent  me,  and  I  live  by  the  Father;  so  he  that 
eateth  me,  the  same  also  shall  live  by  me. 

bread  that  I  will  give  is  my  flesh,  which  I  will  give  for  the  life  of 
the  world,"  but  since  the  words  "  which  I  will  give  "  are  omitted 
in  the  Vulgate  and  by  many  of  the  best  Greek  editions  it  is  thought 
more  probable  that  they  are  not  genuine. 

53~55-  The  Jews  were  disputing  among  themselves  about  what 
our  Lord  had  said,  but  Jesus  far  from  trying  to  clear  up  their  doubts 
only  insists  the  more  on  the  necessity  of  receiving  His  body  and 
blood  as  a  means  to  spiritual  and  everlasting  life.  It  must  not  be 
argued  from  these  verses  that  Communion  under  both  species  is 
necessary.  It  is  true  that  by  virtue  of  tlie  words  of  consecration 
only  the  body  of  Christ  is  present  under  the  species  of  bread,  and 
likewise  only  the  blood  of  Christ  under  the  species  of  wine;  but 
since  Christ's  body  is  a  living  body,  and  because  of  the  necessary 
union  in  a  living  body  between  the  flesh,  blood  and  soul,  it  follows 
that  where  Christ's  flesh  is,  there  also  are  His  blood  and  soul,  and 
vice  versa.  Moreover,  by  reason  of  the  hypostatic  union  between 
the  human  and  divine  natures  in  Christ,  it  follows  also  that  His 
Divinity  is  likewise  present  under  each  species  in  the  Blessed 
Eucharist.  But  it  may  be  asked:  Why,  then,  did  Christ  give  both 
species:  Anszver:  (a)  because  He  wished  this  Sacrament  to  be 
partaken  of  after  the  manner  of  a  real  banquet,  a  real  repast,  which 
supposes  both  meat  and  drink;  (b)  because  this  Sacrament  was  to 
be  a  commemoration  of  His  death,  in  which  His  body  and  blood 
were  separated. 

57.  The  meaning  of  this  verse  is  that  He  who  eats  the  flesh  and 
drinks  the  blood  of  Christ,  abides  in  Christ  as  the  branch  abides 
in  the  vine,  and  that  Christ  abides  in  Him  as  the  life  of  the  vine 
abides  in  the  branch. 

58.  There  are  two  principal  explanations  of  the  meaning  of  this 


ST.  JOHN  VI,  59-64  455 

59.  This  is  the  bread  that  came  down  from  heaven.  Not  as  your 
fathers  did  eat  manna,  and  are  dead.  He  that  eateth  this  bread,  shall  live  for 
ever. 

60.  These  things  he  said,  teaching  in  the  synagogue,  in  Capharnaum. 

61.  Many  therefore  of  his  disciples,  hearing  it,  said:  This  saying  is  hard, 
and  who  can  hear  it? 

62.  But  Jesus,  knowing  in  himself,  that  his  disciples  murmured  at  this,  said 
to  them:  Doth  this  scandalize  you? 

63.  If  then  you  shall  see  the  Son  of  man  ascend  up  where  he  was  before? 

64.  It  is  the  spirit  that  quickeneth  :  the  flesh  profiteth  nothing.  The  words 
that  I  have  spoken  to  you,  are  spirit  and  life. 

verse:  (a)  as  I  live  on  account  of,  and  for  the  sole  purpose  of  the 
Father  who  sent  Me.  so  he  that  eateth  Me  shall  live  on  account  of, 
and  for  the  sole  purpose  of  Me;  (b)  according  to  others,  the  mean- 
ing is  that,  as  Christ  lives  by  the  eternal  life  communicated  to  Him 
by  His  Father  in  eternal  generation,  so  the  communicant  shall  live 
by  the  spiritual  life  communicated  to  him  by  our  Lord  in  Holy 
Communion. 

59.  This  verse  concludes  the  discourse  of  our  Lord  (verses  26- 
60)  about  the  giving  of  the  Blessed  Eucharist  and  points  out  the 
difference  in  effect  between  it  and  the  manna  in  the  desert. 

61,  62.  Having  understood  our  Lord's  words  in  their  literal 
sense  many  of  His  disciples  found  it  hard  to  accept  them,  but  our 
Lord  remained  unmoved. 

63.  There  are  two  ways  of  explaining  the  meaning  of  this  verse : 
(a)  if  you  are  scandalized  at  My  words  about  giving  My  flesh  and 
blood  as  meat  and  drink,  you  will  be  able  more  easily  to  understand 
this  when  you  see  My  Divinity  manifested  in  My  Ascension  into 
Heaven;  (b)  if  you  are  scandalized  at  My  promising  to  give  you 
My  flesh  and  blood,  how  much  harder  will  it  be  for  you  when  you 
see  My  body  ascending  into  Heaven,  while  you  are  still  asked  to 
believe  that  it  is  present  on  earth  to  be  eaten. 

Ascend  up  where  he  was  before.  Of  these  words  Dr.  Westcott 
says :  "  No  phrase  could  show  more  clearly  the  unchanged  personal- 
ity of  Christ."  He  that  ascends  is  the  identical,  self-same  person 
that  descended.    Cf.  Eph.  iv.  10. 

64.  There  are  two  leading  interpretations  of  this  verse:  (a) 
according  to  St.  Chrysostom  and  others  our  Lord  here  meant  to 
say  that  the  words  He  had  been  speaking  were  to  be  understood 
only  by  minds  illumined  with  faith  and  quickened  by  grace ;  human 


456  ST.  JOHN  VI,  65-72 

65.  But  there  are  some  of  you  that  believe  not.  For  Jesus  knew  from  the 
beginning,  who  they  were  that  did  not  believe,  and  who  he  was,  that  would 
betray  him. 

66.  And  he  said :  Therefore  did  I  say  to  you,  that  no  man  can  come  to  me, 
unless  it  be  given  him  by  my  Father. 

67.  After  this  many  of  his  disciples  went  back;  and  walked  no  more  with 
him.  k 

68.  Then  Jesus  said  to  the  twelve  :  Will  you  also  go  away? 

69.  And  Simon  Peter  answered  him  :  Lord,  to  whom  shall  we  go?  thou  hast 
the  words  of  eternal  life. 

70.  And  we  have  believed  and  have  known,  that  thou  art  the  Christ,  the  Son 
of  God. 

71.  Jesus  answered  them  :  Have  not  I  chosen  you  twelve;  and  one  of  you  is 
a  devil? 

•J2.  Now  he  meant  Judas  Iscariot.  the  son  of  Simon :  for  this  same  was 
about  to  betray  him,  whereas  he  was  one  of  the  twelve. 

nature  of  itself  being  unable  to  grasp  His  meaning;  (b)  Maldonatus 
and  many  others  say  the  meaning  is,  as  if  our  Lord  had  said :  "  It 
is  My  Divinity  that  will  quicken  my  flesh  and  make  it  a  meat  nour- 
ishing unto  life  everlasting;  My  flesh  alone  without  My  Divinity 
profiteth  nothing." 

65.  But  there  are  some  of  you  that  believe  not;  i.e.,  some  among 
our  Lord's  hearers  believed  not  in  His  Divinity,  and  consequently 
found  His  words  hard  to  accept.  Judas  was  evidently  among  the 
unbelievers. 

66.  Alluding  to  what  He  had  said  in  verse  44.  our  Lord  repeats 
that  no  one  can  believe  in  Him  unless  His  Father  draw  him  by 
grace.  Those  who  did  not  believe  resisted  the  promptings  of  grace. 
See  on  verses  44,  45, 

67.  68.  These  verses  show  beyond  doubt  that  the  disciples  under- 
stood our  Lord's  words  in  their  literal  sense,  and  that  our  Lord 
permitted  many  of  them  to  turn  away,  —  He  even  insinuated  that 
the  twelve  might  go,  rather  than  that  He  should  change  their  under- 
standing of  His  words. 

69,  70.  Peter,  speaking  for  all  the  Apostles,  now  professes  his 
entire  belief  in  the  words  of  our  Lord.  For  verse  70  the  oldest 
Greek  MSS.  read :  "  And  we  have  believed  and  know  that  thou  art 
the  Holy  One  of  God." 

It  is  uncertain  whether  Peter's  words  meant  a  recognition  of  our 
Lord's  Divinity  or  only  of  His  Messiahship. 

71,  ^2.    Peter  in  professing  his  belief  in  the  words  of  our  Lord 


ST.  JOHN  VII,  1-4  457 

had  spoken  for  the  twelve,  but  our  Lord  here  reminds  the  Apostles 
that  one  of  them  is  His  enemy. 

Judas  Iscariot;   i.e.,  Judas  of  Kerioth,  a  town  in  the  tribe  of 
Juda. 


CHAPTER  VII 

Jesus  at  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  i-io. 

The  Chief  Men  Among  the  Jews  Look  for  Jesus 

AT  THE  Feast,  11-13. 
Jesus  Proclaims  His  Divine  Mission,  14-36. 
Jesus  Reveals  the  Holy  Spirit,  37-39. 
The  Different  Opinions  of  the  Jews  Regarding 

Jesus,  40-43- 
They  Seek  to  Apprehend  Jesus,  44-49. 
NicoDEMus  Defends  Jesus  Before  the  Sanhedrim, 

50-53- 

r.  After  these  things  Jesus  walked  in  Galilee;  for  he  would  not  walk  in 
Judea,  because  the  Jews  sought  to  kill  him. 

2.  Now  the  Jews'  feast  of  tabernacles  was  at  hand. 

3.  And  his  brethren  said  to  him :  Pass  from  hence,  and  go  into  Judea ;  that 
thy  disciples  also  may  see  thy  works  which  thou  dost. 

4.  For  there  is  no  man  that  doth  any  thing  in  secret,  and  he  himself  seeketh 
to  be  known  openly.    If  thou  do  these  things,  manifest  thyself  to  the  world. 

1.  After  these  things.  These  words  refer  to  a  period  of  about 
six  months,  between  March  and  September,  the  events  of  which  are 
related  by  St.  Mark  vii-ix. 

2.  Feast  of  tabernacles.  See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  2.  This  feast 
was  established  at  first  to  celebrate  the  memory  of  Israel  wander- 
ing in  the  desert,  but  because  of  the  circumstances  of  time  and 
season  it  also  became  a  feast  of  thanksgiving  for  the  fruits  of  the 
year.  It  lasted  for  eight  days,  and  was  called  tabernacles  because 
of  the  wooden  booths  or  huts,  covered  over  with  branches,  in  which 
the  people  lived  during  the  feast  in  memory  of  their  passage  through 
the  desert. 

3.  His  brethren;  i.e.,  his  cousins.  See  on  Matthew  xii.  46; 
xiii.  55. 

Thy  disciples;  i.e.,  those  who  were  desirous  of  learning  His  doc- 


4S8  ST.  JOHN  VII,  5-16 

5.  For  neither  did  his  brethren  believe  in  him. 

6.  Then  Jesus  said  to  them :  My  time  is  not  yet  come ;  but  your  time  is  al- 
ways ready. 

7.  The  world  cannot  hate  you ;  but  me  it  hateth ;  because  I  give  testimony 
of  it,  that  the  works  thereof  are  evil. 

8.  Go  you  up  to  this  festival  day,  but  I  go  not  up  to  this  festival  day ;  be- 
cause my  time  is  not  accomplished. 

9.  When  he  had  said  these  things,  he  himself  stayed  in  Galilee. 

10.  But  after  his  brethren  were  gone  up,  then  he  also  went  up  to  the  feast, 
not  openly,  but,  as  it  were,  in  secret. 

11.  The  Jews  therefore  sought  him  on  the  festival  day,  and  said:  Where 
is  he? 

12.  And  there  was  much  murmuring  among  the  multitude  concerning  him. 
For  some  said :  He  is  a  good  man.  And  others  said :  No,  but  he  seduceth  the 
people. 

13.  Yet  no  man  spoke  openly  of  him,  for  fear  of  the  Jews. 

14.  Now  about  the  midst  of  the  feast,  Jesus  went  up  into  the  temple,  and 
taught. 

15.  And  the  Jews  wondered,  saying:  How  doth  this  man  know  letters,  hav- 
ing never  learned? 

16.  Jesus  answered  them,  and  said :  My  doctrine  is  not  mine,  but  his  that 
sent  me. 


trine ;  or  the  term  '"  disciples  "  may  refer  to  some  of  the  Apostles 
whose  faith  was  still  imperfect. 

5.  See  above,  verse  3 ;  and  also  vi.  65. 

6.  My  time ;  i.e.,  the  time  for  going  up  to  Jerusalem  to  manifest 
Himself  at  the  festival. 

8-10.  I  go  not  up;  i.e.,  publicly,  in  your  company  (verse  10). 
As  many  ancient  MSS.  have  ovtto),  not  yet,  for  ok,  not,  some  inter- 
preters believe  that  the  meaning  of  this  passage  is,  "I  go  not  up 
yet  or  now,''  implying  that  He  would  go  up  later.  Because  this  jour- 
ney of  Jesus  to  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles  is  very  different  in  details 
from  the  journey  mentioned  by  St.  Luke  (ix.  51),  some  think  it 
should  not  be  regarded  as  the  same.  The  diflferences,  however,  can 
be  reconciled.     See  Fouard,  op.  cit.  Book  V.  c.  4. 

13.  Openly;  i.e.,  with  open  approval  {kv  irapp-qaia) ,  because  they 
feared  the  enemies  of  Christ. 

15.  This  verse  shows  that  Jesus  had  never  attended  any  school, 
and  hence  was  not  supposed  to  be  able  io  read  and  expound  the 
Scriptures. 

16.  My  doctrine  is  not  mine.  The  meaning  is  that  His  doctrine 
vvas  not  different  from  that  of  His  Eternal  Father.     The  doctrine 


ST.  JOHN  VII,  17-23  459 

17.  If  any  man  will  do  the  will  of  him;  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine, 
whether  it  be  of  God,  or  whether  I  speak  of  myself. 

18.  He  that  speaketh  of  himself,  seeketh  his  own  glory  :  but  he  that  seeketh 
the  glory  of  him  that  sent  him,  he  is  true,  and  there  is  no  injustice  in  him. 

19.  Did  not  Moses  give  you  the  law.  and  yet  none  of  you  keepeth  the  law? 

20.  Why  seek  you  to  kill  me?  The  multitude  answered,  and  said:  Thou 
hast  a  devil ;  who  seeketh  to  kill  thee  ? 

21.  Jesus  answered,  and  said  to  them:  One  work  I  have  done;  and  you  all 
wonder : 

22.  Therefore,  Moses  gave  you  circumcision,  (not  because  it  is  of  Moses, 
but  of  the  fathers;)  and  on  the  sabbath  day  you  circumcise  a  man. 

23.  If  a  man  receive  circumcision  on  the  sabbath  day,  that  the  law  of  Moses 
may  not  be  broken ;  are  you  angry  at  me  because  I  have  healed  the  whole  man 
on  the  sabbath  day? 

of  our  Lord,  as  God,  was  identical  with  the  doctrine  of  the  Father, 
having  been  communicated  to  Him  in  His  eternal  generation ;  and 
as  man,  it  was  the  same  as  the  Father's,  having  been  infused  into 
His  human  soul  at  the  Incarnation. 

17,  18.  In  these  verses  our  Lord  gives  two  proofs  of  the  truth 
of  His  doctrine:  (a)  if  anyone  will  test  it  in  practice,  he  will  find 
by  experience  that  it  is  not  human,  but  divine;  (b)  those  who  preach 
their  own  doctrine  seek  their  own  glory,  but  He  is  seeking  only  the 
glory  of  His  Father,  therefore.  He  is  preaching  the  Father's  doc- 
trine which,  they  must  admit,  is  true.  The  Father's  doctrine  was  of 
course  our  Lord's  also ;  but,  since  the  Jews  did  not  understand  the 
Divinity  of  Christ,  it  would  be  of  little  use  for  Him  at  this  time 
to  claim  as  His  own  the  doctrine  He  was  preaching. 

19,  20.  Remembering  that  the  Jews  on  a  former  occasion  had 
accused  Him  of  violating  the  Sabbath  (v.  16-18),  our  Lord  now 
accuses  them  of  violating  a  more  serious  law  themselves  by  seek- 
ing to  kill  Him  against  the  express  prohibition  of  Exod.  (xx.  13). 

Thou  hast  a  devil.  It  is  more  likely  that  these  words  were  ut- 
tered by  the  very  ones  whose  evil  intentions  our  Lord  had  just 
unveiled.  They  were  infuriated  at  His  discovery  of  their  malicious 
designs.  Their  accusation  meant  that  He  was  either  a  "  possessed 
person,''  or  that  He  was  raving. 

21-23.  In  these  verses  our  Lord  adduces  an  argument  against 
those  who  the  previous  year  (v.  5-16)  had  murmured  because 
He  cured  the  paralytic  on  the  Sabbath.  These  same  Jewish  rulers 
had  still  in  mind  the  charge  they  brought  against  Him  on  that 
occasion,  and  our  Lord  now  reminds  them  tiiat  they  do  not  hesitate 


460  ST.  JOHN  VII,  24-32 

24.  Judge  not  according  to  the  appearance,  but  judge  just  judgment. 

25.  Some  therefore  of  Jerusalem  said :  Is  not  this  he  whom  they  seek  to 
kill? 

26.  And  behold,  he  speaketh  openly,  and  they  say  nothing  to  him.  Have  the 
rulers  known  for  a  truth,  that  this  is  the  Christ? 

27.  But  we  know  this  man.  whence  he  is :  but  when  the  Christ  cometh,  no 
man  knoweth  whence  he  is. 

28.  Jesus  therefore  cried  out  in  the  temple,  teaching,  and  saying :  You  both 
know  me,  and  you  know  whence  I  am ;  and  I  am  not  come  of  myself ;  but  he 
that  sent  me,  is  true,  whom  you  know  not. 

29.  I  know  him,  because  I  am  from  him,  and  he  hath  sent  me. 

30.  They  sought  therefore  to  apprehend  him :  and  no  man  laid  hands  on 
him,  because  his  hour  was  not  yet  come. 

31.  But  of  the  people  many  believed  in  him,  and  said:  When  the  Christ 
cometh,  shall  he  do  more  miracles,  than  these  which  this  man  doth? 

32.  The  Pharisees  heard  the  people  murmuring  these  things  concerning 
him :  and  the  rulers  and  Pharisees  sent  ministers  to  apprehend  him 

to  set  aside  the  observation  of  the  Sabbath  when  this  conflicts  with 
the  day  on  which  a  child  should  be  circumcised ;  namely,  the  eighth 
day  after  birth  (Luke  ii.  21).  Hence  the  argument  is:  If  you  do 
not  violate  the  law  of  the  Sabbath  by  circumcising  a  child  on  that 
day,  why  are  you  angry  with  Me  for  curing  a  man's  body  and  soul 
on  the  Sabbath  day  ? 

The  "  therefore  "  (5td  tovto)  of  verse  22  causes  some  difficulty. 
Some  connect  it  with  verse  21 ;  but  it  more  probably  belongs  to  what 
follows  in  verse  22,  and  the  sense  is :  On  this  account  Moses  gave 
you  circumcision ;  namely,  because  it  had  come  down  from  the 
Fathers,  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob,  etc.  (Gen.  xvii.  10-14),  —  "ot  that 
Moses  himself  was  the  author  of  it. 

24-27.  Some  of  the  inhabitants  of  Jerusalem  ('IepoaoXl;^^e^Twv^ 
began  to  wonder  if  the  rulers  really  considered  our  Lord  to  be  the 
Christ,  so  openly  did  they  allow  Him  to  talk ;  but  they  concluded 
that  such  could  not  be  the  case  inasmuch  as  they  knew  whence  this 
man  was,  whereas  no  man  would  know  whence  Christ  was.  Their 
erroneous  ideas  about  the  Christ  were  likely  grounded  on  a  mis- 
understanding of  Isaias  liii.  8;  Mich.  v.  2;  and  Mai.  iii.  2. 

28,  29.  Our  Lord  here  tells  the  Jews  that  they  do  know  Him  as 
man,  and  they  know  His  parents ;  and  yet  He  does  not  come  of  His 
own  authority,  but  is  sent  by  His  Father. 

32.  Rulers;  i.e.,  chief  priests,  who  were  probably  members  of  the 
Sanhedrim,  and  sent  by  that  body. 


ST.  JOHN  VII,  33-49  461 

33.  Jesus  therefore  said  to  them :  Yet  a  little  while  I  am  with  you :  and  then 
I  go  to  him  that  sent  me. 

34.  Vou  shall  seek  me,  and  shall  not  find  me :  and  where  I  am,  thither  you 
cannot  come. 

35.  The  Jews  therefore  said  among  themselves :  Whither  will  he  go,  that 
we  shall  not  find  him?  will  he  go  unto  the  dispersed  among  the  Gentiles,  and 
teach  the  Gentiles? 

36.  What  is  this  saying  that  he  hath  said  :  You  shall  seek  me,  and  shall  not 
find  me ;  and  where  I  am,  you  cannot  come  ? 

3/.  And  on  the  last,  and  great  day  of  the  festivity,  Jesus  stood  and  cried, 
saying:  If  any  man  thirst,  let  him  come  to  me,  and  drink. 

38.  He  that  believeth  in  me,  as  the  scripture  saith,  Out  of  his  belly  shall  flow 
rivers  of  living  water. 

39.  Now  this  he  said  of  the  Spirit  which  they  should  receive,  who  believed 
in  him :  for  as  yet  the  Spirit  was  not  given,  because  Jesus  was  not  yet  glorified. 

40.  Of  that  multitude  therefore,  when  they  had  heard  these  words  of  his, 
some  said  :  This  is  the  prophet  indeed. 

41.  Others  said;  This  is  the  Christ.  But  some  said:  Doth  the  Christ  come 
out  of  Galilee? 

42.  Doth  not  the  scripture  say :  That  Christ  cometh  of  the  seed  of  David, 
and  from  Bethlehem  the  town  where  David  was? 

43.  So  there  arose  a  dissension  among  the  people  because  of  him. 

44.  And  some  of  them  would  have  apprehended  him :  but  no  man  laid  hands 
upon  him. 

45.  The  ministers  therefore  came  to  the  chief  priests  and  the  Pharisees. 
And  they  said  to  them  :  Why  have  you  not  brought  him? 

46.  The  ministers  answered :  Never  did  man  speak  like  this  man. 

47.  The  Pharisees  therefore  answered  them:  Are  you  also  seduced? 

48.  Hath  any  one  of  the  rulers  believed  in  him,  or  of  the  Pharisees? 

49.  But  this  multitude,  that  knoweth  not  the  law,  are  accursed. 

33.  A  little  while;  i.e.,  about  six  months  more. 

34.  You  shall  seek  me;  i.e.,  many  of  the  Jews  would  seek  Him 
in  vain  after  His  departure  from  earth.  These  same  words  were 
later  addressed  to  the  Apostles  (xiii.  33). 

35.  The  dispersed  among  the  Gentiles;  i.e.,  the  Gentiles,  or 
Greek  speaking  peoples,  scattered  over  the  civilized  world  ('EWr}vcov). 
That  the  Jews  dispersed  over  the  world  were  not  meant  seems  clear 
from  the  words,  "  and  teach  the  Gentiles." 

37.  If  any  man  thirst,  etc. ;  i.e.,  if  any  one  have  spiritual  desires, 
let  him  come  to  the  fountain  of  grace  and  be  filled. 

38.  Out  of  his  belly,  etc.  This  passage  is  not  found  anywhere 
in  the  Old  Testament,  but  the  allusion  is  most  likely  to  such  pas- 
sages as  Isa.  Iv.  I  ;  xliv.  3  ;  Ezech.  iii.  3  ;  xxxvi.  25. 

39.  The    Evangelist   liere   explains    the    futurity   of    our    Lord's 


462  ST.  JOHN  VII,  50-53 

50.  Nicodemus  said  to  them,  (he  that  came  to  him  by  night,  who  was  one 
of  them:) 

51.  Doth  our  law  judge  any  man,  unless  it  first  hear  him,  and  know  what  he 
doth? 

52.  They  answered,  and  said  to  him:  Art  thou  also  a  Galilean?  Search  the 
scriptures,  and  see,  that  out  of  Galilee  a  prophet  riseth  not. 

53.  And  every  man  returned  to  his  own  house. 

words  in  the  preceding  verse ;  and  he  means  to  say  that,  while  the 
just  of  the  Old  Law  possessed  the  Holy  Ghost,  still  the  universal 
and  abundant  gifts  of  the  Spirit  were  reserved  for  Pentecost,  after 
Jesus  had  been  glorified  (xvi.  7). 

50-52.  The  Sanhedrim  resented  the  defense  of  our  Lord  by 
Nicodemus,  and  in  their  impatience  they  drew  several  wrong  con- 
clusions: (a)  that  our  Lord  was  born  in  Galilee;  (b)  that  being  a 
Galilean  He  could  not  be  a  prophet;  (c)  that  the  Scriptures  say 
that  no  prophet  arises  out  of  Galilee.  The  Scriptures  (4  Kings 
xiv.  25)  show  that  the  prophet  Jonas  was  from  Galilee, 


CHAPTER  VIII 

The  Woman  Taken  in  Adultery,  i-ii. 

Jesus  is  the  Light  of  the  World,  12-20. 

Jesus  Upbraids  the  Pharisees  and  Foretells  His 
Own  Crucifixion,  21-30. 

Many  Believe  in  Him,  while  Others,  whom  He 
Calls  the  Children  of  the  Devil,  Remain  In- 
credulous, 31-51. 

Jesus  is  Before,  and  is  Greater  Than,  Abraham, 

52-59. 
The  genuineness  of  the  passage  vii.  53-viii.  11  has  been  very 
seriously  questioned  for  the  following  reasons:  (a)  it  is  wanting 
in  the  best  Greek  MSS.  and  in  many  of  the  best  MSS.  of  the  dif- 
ferent versions,  such  as  the  Vetus  Itala,  the  Gothic,  the  Coptic,  etc. ; 
(b)  it  is  ignored  by  all  of  the  Greek  Fathers  who  wrote  on  this 
Gospel;  (c)  it  contains  many  words  and  phrases  not  elsewhere  used 
by  St.  John.  That  these  verses,  however,  are  genuine  seems  very 
probable,  if  not  altogether  certain,  from  the  following:  (a)  they  are 
foimd  in  a  great  number  of  Greek  MSS.,  and  in  such  versions  as 
the  Vulgate,  the  Arabic,  Ethiopic,  Persian,  etc.;'  (b)  they  are  ap- 


ST.  JOHN  VIII,  1-10  463 

1.  And  Jesus  went  unto  mount  Olivet. 

2.  And  early  in  the  morning  he  came  again  into  the  temple,  and  all  the 
people  came  to  him,  and  sitting  down  he  taught  them. 

3-  And  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  bring  unto  him  a  woman  taken  in  adul- 
tery :  and  they  set  her  in  the  midst, 

4-  And  said  to  him :  Master,  this  woman  was  even  now  taken  in  adultery. 

5.  Now  Moses  in  the  law  commanded  us  to  stone  such  a  one.     But  what 
sayest  thou  ? 

6.  And  this  they  said  tempting  him,  that  they  might  accuse  him.    But  Jesus 
bowing  himself  down,  wrote  with  his  finger  on  the  ground. 

7.  When  therefore  they  continued  asking  him,  he  lifted  up  himself,  and  said 
to  them :  He  that  is  without  sin  among  you,  let  him  first  cast  a  stone  at  her. 

8.  And  again  stooping  down,  he  wrote  on  the  ground. 

9.  But  they  hearing  this,  went  out  one  by  one,  beginning  at  the  eldest.    And 
Jesus  alone  remained,  and  the  woman  standing  in  the  midst. 

10.  Then  Jesus  lifting  up  himself,  said  to  her :  Woman,  where  are  they  that 
accused  thee?    Hath  no  man  condemned  thee? 

proved  by  most  of  the  Latin  Fathers;  (c)  if  strange  words  are  used 
in  these  verses,  this  proves  nothing,  because  other  strange  words  are 
found  in  other  passages  of  St.  John  about  which  there  is  no  question  ; 
(d)  the  Council  of  Trent  (Sess.  iv)  seems  to  imply  that  these  verses 
are  a  true  portion  of  the  inspired  Scriptures.     We  may,  therefore, 
conclude  that  the  above  passage  is:  (a)  a  genuine  narrative;   (b) 
that  it  had  Apostolic  sanction,  and  was  most  probably  written  by 
St.  John;  (c)  that  its  inspiration  cannot  be  questioned  by  Catholics, 
i-io.    While  the  people  retired  to  their  homes,  our  Lord  went  to 
the  Mount  of  Olives,  about  a  mile  east  of  Jerusalem,  to  spend  the 
night  in  prayer.     The  next  morning  He  came  to  the  Temple,  and 
was  there  teaching  the  people,  who  had  come  to  the  city  from  all 
parts  of  Palestine  for  the  Feast  of  Tabernacles,  and  who  were  still 
in  the  city.     The  Pharisees  brought  to  Him  a  woman  whom  they 
had  apprehended  in  the  very  act  of  adultery  (mxevoMepv) ,  and  they 
hoped  to  entrap  Him  by  getting  Him  to  acquit  her  against  the  com- 
mand of  the  Law  (Lev.  xx.  10),  or  by  inducing  Him  to  condemn 
her  and  thus  defy  the  Roman  Law  which  at  that  time  denied  to  the 
Jews  the  right  of  capital  punishment  (John  xviii.  31).     How  Jesus 
foiled  their  wicked  attempt  to  catch   Him!     What  He  wrote  on 
the  ground  we  do  not  know.    According  to  some  MSS.  (the  U  and 
others)   He  added  to  the  name  of  each  accuser  a  list  of  his  own 
faults.     At  any  rate,  what  He  wrote  was  sufficient  to  send  away  in 
shame  and  confusion  the  accusers  of  the  woman. 


464  ST.  JOHN  VIII,  11-19 

11.  Who  said:  No  man,  Lord.  And  Jesus  said:  Neither  will  I  condemn 
thee.    Go,  and  now  sin  no  more. 

12.  Again  therefore,  Jesus  spoke  to  them,  saying:  I  am  the  light  of  the 
world :  he  that  followeth  me,  walketh  not  in  darkness,  but  shall  have  the  light 
of  life. 

13.  The  Pharisees  therefore  said  to  him :  Thou  givest  testimony  of  thyself : 
thy  testimony  is  not  true. 

14.  Jesus  answered,  and  said  to  them :  Although  I  give  testimony  of  myself, 
my  testimony  is  true :  for  I  know  whence  I  came,  and  whither  I  go :  but  you 
know  not  whence  I  come,  or  whither  I  go. 

15.  You  judge  according  to  the  flesh  :  I  judge  not  any  man. 

16.  And  if  I  do  judge,  my  judgment  is  true:  because  I  am  not  alone,  but  I 
and  the  Father  that  sent  me. 

17.  And  in  your  law  it  is  written,  that  the  testimony  of  two  men  is  true. 

18.  I  am  one  that  give  testimony  of  myself :  and  the  Father  that  sent  me 
giveth  testimony  of  me. 

19.  They  said  therefore  to  him:  Where  is  thy  Father?  Jesus  answered: 
Neither  me  do  you  know,  nor  my  Father:  if  you  did  know  me,  perhaps  you 
would  know  my  Father  also. 

It  is  nowhere  stated  in  the  Pentateuch  that  an  adulterer  or  adul- 
teress  should  be  stoned,  but  that  her  death,  which  was  commanded 
by  Lev.  (xx.  10),  should  be  by  stoning  was  perhaps  gathered  from 
Ezech.  (xvi.  38-40). 

11.  Neither  will  I  condemn  thee.  Go,  etc.  Our  Lord  implies 
that  the  woman  had  been  guilty,  but  having  moved  her  by  His  grace 
to  sorrow.  He  pardons  her  and  bids  her  go  and  sin  no  more. 

12.  This  verse  is  very  probably  a  continuation  of  the  discourse 
spoken  of  in  verse  2  above.  I  am  the  light,  etc.  St.  Aug.  (Tract, 
in  Joan.  xxxv.  4—6)  thus  sets  forth  this  argument:  "  Lumen  et  alia 
demonstrat  et  seipsum;  testimonium  sibi  perhibet  lux,  aperit  sanos 
oculos,  et  sibi  ipsa  testis  est  ut  cognoscatur  lux.  .  .  .  Ergo  verum 
est  testimonium  luminis,  sive  se  ostendit,  sive  alia;  quia  sine  lumine 
non  potcs  zndere  quodlibet  aliud  quod  non  est  lumen." 

14.  For  I  know  whence  I  came,  etc.  By  this  our  Lord  meant 
to  say  that  He  was  God,  and  therefore  His  testimony  was  true  and 
should  be  accepted. 

15.  You  judge  according  to  the  flesh;  i.e.,  according  to  carnal 
ideas  and  the  natural  man  (Rom.  viii.  4-6;  i  Cor.  ii.  14).  I  judge 
not  any  man;  i.e.,  now,  at  My  first  coming.  At  His  second  coming 
our  Lord  is  to  be  the  judge  of  all  mankind. 

16-19.  Our  Lord  now  says  that,  should  He  judge  anyone.  His 
judgment  will  be  true,  because  His  judgment  is  identical  with  that 


ST.  JOHN  VIII,  20-25  465 

20.  These  words  Jesus  spoke  in  the  treasury,  teaching  in  the  temple :  and  no 
man  laid  hands  on  him,  because  his  hour  was  not  yet  come. 

21.  Again  therefore  Jesus  said  to  them :  I  go,  and  you  shall  seek  me,  and 
you  shall  die  in  your  sin.    Whither  1  go,  you  cannot  come. 

22.  The  Jews  therefore  said :  Will  he  kill  himself,  because  he  said  :  Whither 
I  go,  you  cannot  come  ? 

23.  And  he  said  to  them  :  You  are  from  beneath,  I  am  from  above.  You 
are  of  this  world,  I  am  not  of  this  world. 

24.  Therefore  I  said  to  you,  that  you  shall  die  in  your  sins.  For  if  you  be- 
lieve not  that  I  am  he,  you  shall  die  in  your  sin. 

25.  They  said  therefore  to  him :  Who  art  thou  ?  Jesus  said  to  them :  The 
beginning,  who  also  speak  unto  you. 

of  the  Father;  and  further,  that  His  testimony  as  man  ought  to 
be  accepted,  because  it  is  backed  by  two  witnesses,  as  the  Law  (Deut. 
xvii.  6;  xix.  15)  requires;  namely,  by  His  own  testimony  as  God, 
and  by  that  of  His  Father  (v.  36).  But  the  Jews  did  not  know 
Him  as  God,  and  hence  they  knew  not  the  Father  either. 

20.  In  the  treasury;  i.e.,  in  the  cloister  in  the  Court  of  the  Women 
where  this  treasury  was  located.    See  on  Mark  xii.  41. 

21.  The  meaning  here  is  that  after  our  Lord  had  ascended  on 
high  the  faithless  Jews  would  seek  Him,  in  order  to  kill  Him 
again.  But  they  should  not  find  Him,  because  He  would  be  in 
Heaven  whither  they  should  never  come.  They  would  die  in  their 
sin,  i.e.,  in  their  infidelity,  and  would  be  buried  in  hell.  Se*»  on 
vii.  34. 

25.  The  beginning,  etc.  This  is  a  very  obscure  passage,  and  the 
explanations  of  it  are  many.  The  whole  trouble  is  caused  by  the 
Greek,  which  has,  ttjv  apxnv  5  rt  (or  6tl)  Kal  XaXco  v^jlLv.  Since  ttjv 
apxnv  are  in  the  accusative,  and  not  in  the  nominative  case,  the 
translations  in  the  English  and  Vulgate  cannot  be  correct.  St. 
Augustine  says  that  the  verb  believe,  credite,  is  presupposed  to  the 
accusative  principium,  or  apxhv,  hence  the  construction  would  be : 
•'  believe  me  to  be  the  beginning,"  etc.  This  explanation  agrees  witli 
the  context,  and  is,  therefore,  probable.  But  since  ttju  dpxhv  is  quite 
often  taken  as  an  adverb  in  the  Old  Testament  (Dan.  viii.  i  ;  Gen. 
xli.  21  ;  xliii.  20),  as  well  as  in  profane  authors,  it  is  thought  better 
by  many  commentators  to  take  it  adverbially^ere.  as  meaning,  front 
the  beginning;  or,  absolutely,  precisely.  Herff?;  regarding  rriv  apxqv 
as  an  adverb  we  should  say  that  the  most  probable  renderings  of 
the  passage  are:  (a)  "  From  the  beginning  I  am  what  I  declare  to 


466  ST.  JOHN  VIII,  26-37 

26.  Many  things  I  have  to  speak  and  to  judge  of  you.    But  he  that  sent  me, 
is  true :  and  the  things  I  have  heard  of  him,  these  same  I  speak  in  the  world. 
2T.  And  they  understood  not,  that  he  called  God  his  Father. 

28.  Jesus  therefore  said  to  them :  When  you  shall  have  lifted  up  the  Son  of 
man,  then  shall  you  know,  that  I  am  he,  and  that  I  do  nothing  of  myself,  but 
as  the  Father  hath  taught  me,  these  things  I  speak : 

29.  And  he  that  sent  me,  is  with  me,  and  he  hath  not  left  me  alone :  for  I 
do  always  the  things  that  please  him. 

30.  When  he  spoke  these  things,  many  believed  in  him. 

31.  Then  Jesus  said  to  those  Jews,  who  believed  him :  If  you  continue  in  my 
word,  you  shall  be  my  disciples  indeed. 

32.  And  you  shall  know  the  truth,  and  the  truth  shall  make  you  free. 

2Z-  They  answered  him :  We  are  the  seed  of  Abraham,  and  we  have  never 
been  slaves  to  any  man :  how  sayest  thou :  you  shall  be  free  ? 

34.  Jesus  answered  them :  Amen,  amen  1  say  unto  you  :  that  whosoever 
committeth  sin,  is  the  servant  of  sin. 

35.  Now  the  servant  abideth  not  in  the  house  for  ever ;  but  the  son  abideth 
for  ever. 

36.  If  therefore  the  son  shall  make  you  free,  you  shall  be  free  indeed. 

y].  I  know  that  you  are  the  children  of  Abraham :  but  you  seek  to  kill  me, 
because  my  word  hath  no  place  in  you. 

you";  (b)  "From  the  beginning  I  am  (the  Word)  who  speak  to 
you  ";  (c)  "  I  am  absolutely,  precisely  what  I  say  to  you." 

The  Revised  Version  has  in  the  margin :  "  How  is  it  that  I  even 
speak  to  you  ? "  which  is  similar  to  the  explanation  given  by  St. 
Chrysostom,  and  agrees  very  well  with  the  following  verse. 

26.  The  meaning  of  this  verse  is :  I  have  many  things  wherein 
to  condemn  you,  especially  your  incredulity,  since  you  do  not  be- 
lieve Me,  although  He  that  sent  Me  is  true,  and  I  speak  His  words. 

27.  The  Greek  of  this  verse  is :  "  They  did  not  know  that  He 
spoke  to  them  of  the  Father." 

28.  Lifted  up  the  Son  of  man,  etc.  The  meaning  here  is  that 
after  they  had  crucified  our  Lord  they  would  recognize  Him  to  be 
God,  which  was  at  once  verified,  as  we  know  from  Matthew  (xxvii. 
54)  and  Luke  (xxiii.  48). 

As  the  Father  hath  taught,  etc.    See  on  v.  19,  20. 

31.  Our  Lord  here  gives  the  rule  by  which  His  true  disciples  are 
to  be  tested. 

32.  You  shall  know  the  truth,  etc. ;  i.e.,  you  shall  know  Me  and 
accept  My  revelation,  and  you  shall  be  made  free  from  the  slavery 
of  sin  (verse  34). 

33-36.    Some  of  the  unbelievers  among  our  Lord's  hearers,  ap- 


ST.  JOHN  VIII,  38-44  467 

38.  I  speak  that  which  I  have  seen  with  my  Father :  and  you  do  the  things 
that  you  have  seen  with  your  father. 

39.  They  answered,  and  said  to  him :  Abraham  is  our  father.  Jesus  saith  to 
them :  If  you  be  the  children  of  Abraham,  do  the  works  of  Abraham. 

40.  But  now  you  seek  to  kill  me,  a  man  who  have  spoken  the  truth  to  you, 
which  I  have  heard  of  God.    This  Abraham  did  not. 

41.  You  do  the  works  of  your  father.  They  said  therefore  to  him  :  We  are 
not  born  of  fornication :  we  have  one  Father,  even  God. 

42.  Jesus  therefore  said  to  them:  If  God  were  your  Father,  you  would  in- 
deed love  mc.  For  from  God  I  proceeded,  and  came ;  for  I  came  not  of 
myself,  but  he  sent  me  : 

43.  Why  do  you  not  know  my  speech?  Because  you  cannot  hear  my 
word. 

44.  You  are  of  your  father  the  devil,  and  the  desires  of  your  father  you  will 
do.  He  was  a  murderer  from  the  beginning,  and  he  stood  not  in  the  truth ;  be- 
cause truth  is  not  in  him.  When  he  speaketh  a  lie,  he  speaketh  of  his  own  : 
for  he  is  a  liar,  and  the  father  thereof. 

parently  not  understanding  that  He  spoke  of  the  slavery  of  sin, 
replied  that  they  had  never  been  slaves  to  any  man.  It  is  true  the 
Jews  who  were  then  living  had  never  been  slaves  to  any  man, 
although  they  were  subject  to  the  Romans ;  but  their  forefathers 
had  been  slaves  to  the  Egyptians,  Babylonians,  and  others. 

Since,  then,  these  Jews  were  the  slaves  of  sin,  they  were  subject 
to  the  condition  of  slaves,  and  might,  consequently,  be  cast  out  of 
the  Master's  house,  temporal  and  eternal,  at  any  time.  But  if  the 
Son  of  the  Father  should  make  them  free,  their  liberty  would  be 
of  the  most  excellent  kind  —  a  liberty  from  the  bondage  of  sin  and 
their  own  passions. 

38.  Your  father;  i.e.,  the  devil  (verse  44). 

39.  If  you  be  the  children,  etc.,  —  rather,  "  if  you  were  the 
children,  you  would,"  etc.,  according  to  the  Greek. 

41.  Born  of  fornication.  The  word  Topvela,'  fornicatioti,  is  often 
used  in  Scripture  (e.g.,  Ezech.  xvi.  15  flf. ;  Osee  ii.  4,  5)  of  idolatry, 
and  thus  did  the  Jews  here  understand  our  Lord  to  deny  that  they 
were  the  spiritual  descendants  of  Abraham. 

43.  The  reason  why  the  Jews  did  not  understand  our  Lord's 
words  was  because  they  did  not  accept  His  doctrine ;  and  the  reason 
why  they  did  not  accept  His  doctrine  was  because  they  did  not  want 
to  correct  their  own  lives  and  their  false  notions  regarding  the 
Messiah. 

44.  A  murderer,  because  by  tempting  our  first  parents  he  broug^ht 


468  ST.  JOHN  VIII,  45-56 

45.  But  if  I  say  the  truth,  you  believe  me  not. 

46.  Which  of  you  shall  convince  me  of  sin?  If  I  say  the  truth  to  you,  why 
do  you  not  believe  me? 

47.  He  that  is  of  God,  heareth  the  words  of  God.  Therefore  you  hear  them 
not,  because  you  are  not  of  God. 

48.  The  Jews  therefore  answered,  and  said  to  him :  Do  not  we  say  well  that 
thou  art  a  Samaritan,  and  hast  a  devil? 

49.  Jesus  answered :  I  have  not  a  devil :  but  I  honour  my  Father,  and  you 
have  dishonoured  me. 

50.  But  I  seek  not  my  own  glory :  there  is  one  that  seeketh  and  judgeth. 

51.  Amen,  amen  I  say  to  you:  If  any  man  keep  my  word,  he  shall  not  see 
death  for  ever. 

52.  The  Jews  therefore  said  :  Now  we  know  that  thou  hast  a  devil.  Abra- 
ham is  dead,  and  the  prophets;  and  thou  sayest :  If  any  man  keep  my  word, 
he  shall  not  taste  death  for  ever. 

53.  Art  thou  greater  than  our  father  Abraham,  who  is  dead?  and  the 
prophets  are  dead.    Whom  dost  thou  make  thyself? 

54.  Jesus  answered:  If  I  glorify  myself,  my  glory  is  nothing.  It  is  my 
Father  that  glorifieth  me,  of  whom  you  say  that  he  is  your  God. 

55.  And  you  have  not  known  him,  but  I  know  him.  And  if  I  shall  say  that 
I  know  him  not,  I  shall  be  like  to  you,  a  liar.  But  I  do  know  him,  and  do  keep 
his  word. 

56.  Abraham  your  father  rejoiced  that  he  might  see  my  day :  he  saw  it, 
and  was  glad. 

death  upon  the  world   (Rom.  v.   12).     He  speaketh  of  his  own, 
i.e.,  according  to  his  own  nature. 

45.  If  I  say.    The  Greek  has,  "because  (on)  I  say." 

46,  47.  Since  our  Lord  was  God  He  could  not  sin.  He  could 
not  lie.  The  real  reason  why  the  Jews  did  not  receive  and  believe 
Him  was  because  they  were  not  of  God. 

48.  A  Samaritan.  By  this  they  meant  to  say  that  our  Lord  was 
not  a  true  son  of  Abraham,  and  consequently  not  of  God.  See  on 
iv.  5.    And  hast  a  devil.    See  on  vii.  20. 

50.  There  is  one  that  seeketh,  etc. ;  i.e.,  God  the  Father  will 
avenge  the  dishonor  given  to  His  Son.     Cf.  Deut.  xviii.  19. 

52.  The  Jews  wrongly  understood  our  Lord  to  speak  of  the  death 
of  the  body. 

56.  Abraham  .  .  .  rejoiced;  i.e.,  after  it  had  been  revealed  to 
Abraham  that  the  Messiah  was  to  be  born  of  his  seed,  he  yearned 
and  longed  to  see  Christ's  day,  i.e.,  the  period  of  our  Lord's  earthly 
life. 

He  saw  it,  and  was  glad.  Most  commentators  believe  that 
Almighty  God  revealed  to  Abraham  in  Limbo  the  time  when  Christ 


ST.  JOHN  VIII,  57-59;  IX,   1  469 

57.  The  Jews  therefore  said  to  him  :  Thou  art  not  yet  fifty  years  old,  and 
hast  thou  seen  Abraham? 

58.  Jesus  said  to  them :  Amen,  amen  I  say  to  you,  before  Abraham  was 
made,  I  am. 

59.  They  took  up  stones  therefore  to  cast  at  him.  But  Jesus  hid  himself, 
and  went  out  of  the  temple. 

was  on  earth.  Others,  however,  regarding  the  past  tense  of  the 
Greek  (eUev  Kal  kxo-pti)  think  that,  by  special  revelation  while  on 
earth,  Abraham  was  enabled  to  see  the  future  life  and  labors  of 
the  Messiah  here  below.    Cf.  Gen.  xv.  8-17;  Heb.  xi.  13. 

57.  Fifty  years  old.  The  Jews  assigned  an  age  for  our  Lord 
long  enough  to  exclude  all  doubt.  St.  Irenaeus  {Adv.  Haer.  ii, 
39,  40)  believed  our  Lord  lived  to  be  fifty ;  but  the  common  opinion 
is  that  Christ  was  put  to  death  in  His  thirty-fourth  year.  See  on 
Luke  iii.  23. 

58.  I  am.    Here  our  Lord  declares  His  eternity. 

59.  Stones  to  cast  at  him.  They  rightly  understood  our  Lord 
to  proclaim  His  eternity  and  divine  origin,  and  considering  Him 
thereby  to  blaspheme  they  were  going  to  stone  Him,  in  accordance 
with  the  command  of  the  Law  (Lev.  xxiv.  16).    Cf.  x.  31-33. 


CHAPTER   IX 

The  Cure  of  the  Man  Born  Blind,  1-7. 

The  Astonishment  and  Comments  of  the  People, 
8-12. 

The  Cured  Man  is  Brought  to  the  Pharisees, 
WHO  Question  Him  and  Then  Interview  His 
Parents,  and  Finally  Cast  Him  Out,  13-34. 

Jesus  Finds  Him  and  Enlightens  Him,  and  Con- 
demns the  Pharisees,  35-41. 

I.  And  Jesus  passing  by,  saw  a  man,  who  was  blind  from  his  birth : 

I.  Jesus  passing  by.  The  term  "Jesus"  is  not  genuine  in  this 
verse,  and  should  be  understood  from  the  last  verse  of  the  preced- 
ing chapter.  From  this  and  from  the  context  it  seems  more  prob- 
able that  the  events  about  to  be  narrated  occurred  immediately  after 
our  Lord  had  left  the  Temple  ( viii.  59). 


470  ST.  JOHN  IX,  2-14 

2.  And  his  disciples  asked  him :  Rabbi,  who  hath  sinned,  this  man,  or  his 
parents,  that  he  should  be  born  blind? 

3.  Jesus  answered :  Neither  hath  this  man  sinned,  nor  his  parents ;  but  that 
the  works  of  God  should  be  made  manifest  in  him. 

4.  I  must  work  the  works  of  him  that  sent  me,  whilst  it  is  day :  the  night 
cometh,  when  no  man  can  work. 

5.  As  long  as  I  am  in  the  world,  I  am  the  light  of  the  world. 

6.  When  he  had  said  these  things,  he  spat  on  the  ground,  and  made  clay  of 
the  spittle,  and  spread  the  clay  upon  his  eyes, 

7.  And  said  to  him :  Go,  wash  in  the  pool  of  Siloe,  which  is  interpreted. 
Sent.    He  went  therefore,  and  washed,  and  he  came  seeing. 

8.  The  neighbours  therefore,  and  they  who  had  seen  him  before  that  he 
was  a  beggar,  said :  Is  not  this  he  that  sat  and  begged?    Some  said,  This  is  he. 

9.  But  others  said :  No,  but  he  is  like  him.    But  he  said :  I  am  he. 
ID.  They  said  therefore  to  him:  How  were  thy  eyes  opened? 

11.  He  answered:  That  man  that  is  called  Jesus  made  clay,  and  anointed 
my  eyes,  and  said  to  ine :  Go  to  the  pool  of  Siloe,  and  wash.  And  I  went,  I 
washed,  and  I  see. 

12.  And  they  said  to  him  :  Where  is  he?    He  saith :  I  know  not. 

13.  They  bring  him  that  had  been  blind  to  the  Pharisees. 

14.  Now  it  was  the  sabbath,  when  Jesus  made  the  clay,  and  opened  his  eyes. 

2.  This  man,  or  his  parents.  It  was  quite  possible  that  the  man's 
blindness  might  be  a  punishment  for  the  sins  of  his  parents  (Exod. 
XX.  5)  ;  but  it  is  impossible  to  see  how  his  own  sins  could  be  the 
cause  of  his  blindness,  except  by  their  being  foreseen  and  fore- 
punished,  and  this  is  absurd.  The  absurdity  of  the  man's  own  sins 
being  the  cause  of  his  blindness  was  likely  not  adverted  to  by  the 
disciples,  who  asked  the  question. 

3.  Our  Lord  explains  that  the  man's  blindness  was  ordained  in 
order  to  afford  occasion  for  the  miracle  which  was  about  to  be 
performed. 

4.  Day  means  the  period  of  our  Lord's  life,  as  mortal  man ; 
night  refers  to  the  time  when  He  would  no  longer  work  visibly 
before  men. 

6.  See  on  Mark  vii.  33. 

7.  Siloe.  The  pool  of  Siloe  or  Siloah  is  situated  a  little  to  the 
south-east  of  Jerusalem  at  the  foot  of  Mount  Sion,  and  may  be 
seen  at  the  present  time.  The  waters  of  the  pool  came  from  a  spring, 
which  has  been  later  called  the  Fountain  of  the  Virgin.  Siloe,  which 
comes  from  a  Hebrew  verb,  salah,  to  send,  was  a  type  of  Christ 
who  was  sent  to  this  world  by  His  Father  (xvii.  3). 

12-14.    Since  the  cure  of  the  blind  man   was  wrought  on  the 


ST.  JOHN  IX,  15-26  471 

15.  Again  therefore  the  Pharisees  asked  him,  how  he  had  received  his  sight. 
But  he  said  to  them :  He  put  clay  upon  my  eyes,  and  I  washed,  and  I  see. 

16.  Some  therefore  of  the  Pharisees  said:  This  man  is  not  of  God,  who 
keepeth  not  the  sabbath.  But  others  said :  How  can  a  man  that  is  a  sinner  do 
such  miracles?    And  there  was  a  division  among  them. 

17.  They  say  therefore  to  the  blind  man  again  :  What  sayest  thou  of  him 
that  hath  opened  thy  eyes?    And  he  said :  He  is  a  prophet. 

18.  The  Jews  then  did  not  believe  concerning  him,  that  he  had  been  blind, 
and  had  received  his  sight,  until  they  called  the  parents  of  him  that  had  re- 
ceived his  sight, 

19.  And  asked  them,  saying:  Is  this  your  son,  who  you  say  was  born  blind? 
How  then  doth  he  now  see? 

20.  His  parents  answered  them,  and  said :  We  know  that  this  is  our  son, 
and  that  he  was  born  blind  : 

21.  But  how  he  now  seeth,  we  know  not;  or  who  hath  opened  his  eyes,  we 
know  not :  ask  himself :  he  is  of  age,  let  him  speak  for  himself. 

22.  These  things  his  parents  said,  because  they  feared  the  Jews :  for  the 
Jews  had  already  agreed  among  themselves,  that  if  any  man  should  confess 
him  to  be  Christ,  he  should  be  put  out  of  the  synagogue. 

23.  Therefore  did  his  parents  say :  He  is  of  age,  ask  himself. 

24.  They  therefore  called  the  man  again  that  had  been  blind,  and  said  to 
him  :  Give  glory  to  God.    We  know  that  this  man  is  a  sinner. 

25.  He  said  therefore  to  them:  H  he  be  a  sinner,  I  know  not:  one  thing  I 
know,  that  whereas  I  was  blind,  now  I  see. 

26.  They  said  then  to  him :  What  did  he  to  thee  ?  How  did  he  open  thy 
eyes? 

Sabbath,  the  people  appealed  to  the  Pharisees  as  judges  to  ascertain 
if  such  an  event  could  come  from  God.  Our  Lord  often  worked 
cures  on  the  Sabbath  in  order  to  correct  the  false  notions  of  the 
Pharisees  regarding  Sabbatical  observance. 

15-17,  The  Pharisees  could  not  deny  the  reality  of  the  miracle, 
and  yet,  because  our  Lord  had  violated  their  own  false  ideas  about 
the  observance  of  the  Sabbath,  some  of  them  said  that  the  miracle 
was  due  to  other  than  divine  agencies.  They  did  not  agree  among 
themselves  as  to  the  character  of  our  Lord,  and  so  they  again 
questioned  the  man  who  answered  that  Christ  was  a  prophet. 

18-23.  Beginning  to  discredit  the  cure  of  the  blind  man,  the 
Pharisees  appeal  to  his  parents,  to  whom  they  propose  three  ques- 
tions. The  parents  respond  that  this  is  their  son  and  that  he  was 
born  blind,  but  they  refuse,  out  of  fear  of  excommunication  from 
the  Synagogue,  to  say  anything  about  Him  who  cured  their  son. 

24.  While  pretending  to  get  the  truth  from  the  man  the  Pharisees 
tried  first  of  all  to  influence  him  to  reply  against  our  Lord. 


472  ST.  JOHN  IX,  27-36 

2".  He  answered  them :  I  have  told  you  already,  and  you  have  heard :  why 
would  you  hear  it  again?  will  you  also  become  his  disciples? 

28.  They  reviled  him  therefore,  and  said:  Be  thou  his  disciple;  but  we  are 
the  disciples  of  Moses. 

29.  We  know  that  God  spoke  to  Moses :  but  as  to  this  man,  we  know  not 
from  whence  he  is. 

30.  The  man  answered,  and  said  to  them :  Why,  herein  is  a  wonderful  thing, 
that  you  know  not  from  whence  he  is,  and  he  hath  opened  my  eyes. 

31.  Now  we  know  that  God  doth  not  hear  sinners :  but  if  a  man  be  a  server 
of  God,  and  doth  his  will,  him  he  heareth. 

32.  From  the  beginning  of  the  world  it  hath  not  been  heard,  that  any  man 
hath  opened  the  eyes  of  one  born  blind. 

33.  Unless  this  man  were  of  God,  he  could  not  do  any  thing. 

34.  They  answered,  and  said  to  him  :  Thou  wast  wholly  born  in  sins,  and 
dost  thou  teach  us  ?    And  they  cast  him  out. 

35.  Jesus  heard  that  they  had  cast  him  out :  and  when  he  had  found  him,  he 
said  to  him :  Dost  thou  believe  in  the  Son  of  God? 

36.  He  answered,  and  said :  Who  is  he.  Lord,  that  I  may  believe  in  him? 


27.  And  you  have  heard.  The  Greek  is :  "  and  you  did  not  heed  " 
(fcai  OVK  rfKOvaare). 

30.  The  blind  man  means  to  say  that  the  fact  that  Jesus  has 
performed  so  great  a  miracle  as  to  cure  his  bHndness  ought  to  be 
proof  to  the  Pharisees  that  such  a  one  is  from  God  and  has  divine 
authority. 

31.  God  doth  not  hear  sinners,  etc.  These  are  the  words  of  the 
bHnd  man,  and  are  not  always  true.  Certain  prayers  and  acts,  even 
though  performed  by  sinners,  e.g.,  the  Mass,  the  sacraments,  etc., 
are  heard  by  God,  because  their  value  is  ex  opere  operato.  And 
even  those  acts  and  prayers  which  have  their  value  only  ex  opere 
operantis  are  sometimes  heard  by  God,  provided  the  proper  con- 
ditions for  good  prayer  are  present.  The  inspiration  of  this  passage 
is  protected  by  the  fact  that  the  inspired  Evangelist  tells  that  the 
man  spoke  these  words. 

33.  He  could  not  do  anything;  i.e.,  he  could  not  do  anything 
like  the  miracle  just  performed. 

34.  They  cast  him  out,  from  their  presence. 

35.  Son  of  God.  The  Vatican  and  Sinaitic  MSS.  have,  "  Son 
of  man."  The  meaning  is  practically  the  same,  as  our  Lord  was 
known  by  both  titles. 

36.  Lord,  Kupie,  sir,  was  used  as  a  term  of  respect,  but  here 
it  does  not  imply  that  the  man  recognized  our  Lord  to  be  God. 


ST.  JOHN  IX,  37-41;  X,  1,  2  473 

37.  And  Jesus  said  to  him  :  Thou  hast  both  seen  him;  and  it  is  he  that  talk- 
eth  with  thee. 

38.  And  he  said :  I  believe,  Lord.    And  falling  down,  he  adored  him. 

39.  And  Jesus  said :  For  judgment  1  am  come  into  this  world ;  that  they  who 
see  not,  may  see ;  and  they  who  sec,  may  become  blind. 

40.  And  some  of  the  Pharisees,  who  were  with  him,  heard :  and  they  said 
unto  him  :  Are  we  also  blind? 

41.  Jesus  said  to  them ;  If  you  were  blind,  you  should  not  have  sin :  but  now 
you  say  :  We  see.    Your  sin  remaineth. 

yj.  Thou  hast  both  seen  him,  —  rather,  "  thou  seest  him."  The 
Greek  perfect  has  here  a  present  meaning. 

38.  He  adored  him;  i.e.,  he  worshipped  Him  as  God. 

39.  For  judgment  I  am  come,  etc.;  i.e.,  the  result  or  effect  of 
Christ's  first  coming  was  to  separate  the  good  from  the  bad,  to 
prepare  the  materials  for  the  judgment  of  condemnation  which  is 
spoken  of  in  iii.  17;  viii.  15,  and  which  He  will  execute  at  His 
second  coming.  Cf.  Rom.  v.  20;  Cor.  i.  27.  The  blind  here 
are  those  who  would  not  see ;  namely,  the  Pharisees  ( Matthew 
xxiii.  26). 

41.  If  you  were  blind,  etc.;  i.e.,  if  you  were  ignorant,  unin- 
structed,  there  would  be  some  excuse  for  you ;  but  you  profess  to 
see,  to  be  instructed,  hence  your  sin  remaineth. 


CHAPTER  X 

The  Good  Shepherd,  1-21. 

Jesus  at  the  Feast  of  the  Dedication,  22-24. 

Jesus  is  Consubstantial  with  the  Father,  25-30. 

The  Hostility  of  the  Jews,  31-39. 

Jesus  Retires  to  Peraea,  40-42. 

1.  Amen,  amen  I  say  to  you.  He  that  entereth  not  by  the  door  into  the 
sheepfold,  but  climbeth  up  another  way,  the  same  is  a  thief  and  a  robber. 

2.  But  he  that  entereth  in  by  the  door  is  the  shepherd  of  the  sheep. 

1,2.  From  the  relation  between  the  last  chapter  and  the  first 
part  of  the  present  one  some  commentators  hold  that  the  first  eight- 
een verses  of  this  chapter  rightly  belong  to  that.     The  connection. 


474  ST.  JOHN  X,  3 

3.  To  him  the  porter  openeth ;  and  the  sheep  hear  his  voice :  and  he  calUth 
his  own  sheep  by  name^  and  leadeth  them  out. 

according  to  St.  Augustine,  is  in  this,  that  Christ  was  condemning 
the  Pharisees  as  blind,  because  they  did  not  recognize  Him  as  the 
door  to  salvation  and  as  the  true  shepherd  of  souls. 

This  allegory,  or  parable,  of  the  good  Shepherd  is  best  under- 
stood when  we  know  something  of  the  pastoral  life  of  the  Orient, 
and  of  the  relations  between  the  shepherd  and  his  sheep.  Through- 
out the  da)^ime  in  clement  weather  the  Jewish  shepherd  was  ac- 
customed to  lead  his  sheep  to  pasture  over  the  hills  and  through 
the  valleys  of  Palestine.  He  did  not  drive  his  flock,  as  we  do  in 
our  country,  but  led  them,  and  protected  them  during  the  entire 
day  from  all  evils  and  dangers  which  robbers  and  wild  beasts  often 
sought  to  inflict  upon  them.  At  night  the  shepherd  would  gather 
his  sheep  into  the  sheepfold,  and  it  sometimes  happened  that  the 
flocks  of  several  shepherds  would  be  enclosed  in  the  same  fold. 
The  fold  was  nothing  more  than  a  high  wall  of  stones,  left  open 
over  head  and  having  but  one  door,  which  was  guarded  during  the 
night  by  a  doorkeeper.  Ha  thief  wished  to  steal,  he  would  be 
obliged  to  climb  over  the  wall.  In  the  morning  the  shepherd  or 
shepherds  would  come  to  the  fold,  and,  entering  by  the  door,  would 
call  their  flocks  by  name  and  lead  them  out  to  pasture  and  to  re- 
freshing waters.  The  sheep  knew  their  own  shepherd,  whose  voice 
they  would  always  obey,  and  they  had  implicit  confidence  in  him ; 
but  at  the  sight  of  strangers,  and  at  the  sound  of  strange  voices  they 
were  filled  with  fear  and  would  flee. 

With  this  brief  account  in  mind  the  allegory,  or  parable,  and 
its  application  are  clear.  The  Church  is  the  sheepfold,  Christ  is  the 
door,  the  Holy  Ghost,  who  opens  and  enlightens  the  mind  and  heart, 
is  the  porter  and  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  are  the  thieves  and  rob- 
bers who  invade  and  injure  the  flock  of  God.  He  who  would  enter 
the  sheepfold,  i.e.,  the  Church  of  Christ  and  be  saved  must  enter  by 
the  door,  i.e.,  through  Christ,  by  way  of  the  doctrines  which  Christ 
revealed  and  taught ;  otherwise  the  Holy  Spirit  will  not  open  to  him 
His  graces,  and  if  he  enter  the  fold  at  all,  it  will  be  only  by  the 
way  of  thieves  and  robbers. 

3.  And  leadeth  them  out;  i.e.,  the  good  pastor  of  souls  does  for 
the  faithful  what  the  shepherd  does  for  his  sheep ;  namely,  he  guides 


ST.  JOHN  X,  4-10  475 

4.  And  when  he  hath  let  out  his  own  sheep,  he  goeth  before  them  :  and  the 
sheep  follow  him,  because  they  know  his  voice. 

5.  But  a  stranger  they  follow  not,  but  fly  from  him,  because  they  know  not 
the  voice  of  strangers. 

6.  This  proverb  Jesus  spoke  to  them.     But  they  understood  not  what  he 
spoke  to  them. 

7.  Jesus  therefore  said  to  them  again  :  Amen,  amen  I  say  to  you,  I  am  the 
door  of  the  sheep. 

8.  All  others,  as  many  as  have  come,  are  thieves  and  robbers :  and  the  sheep 
heard  them  not. 

9.  I  am  the  door.     By  me,  if  any  man  enter  in,  he  shall  be  saved:  and  he 
shall  go  in,  and  go  out,  and  shall  find  pastures. 

10.  The  thief  cometh  not,  but  for  to  steal,  and  to  kill,  and  to  destroy.    I  am 
come  that  they  may  have  life,  and  may  have  it  more  abundantly. 


them,  protects  them,  and  provides  them  with  the  nourishment  they 
need.  There  is  this  difference  between  the  earthly  and  the  spiritual 
shepherd,  that  the  latter,  unlike  the  former,  has  his  pastures  and 
sources  of  nourishment  within  the  fold.  It  is  not  necessary  to  seek 
exact  likeness  in  everything  between  the  two.  To  do  so  would  be 
against  the  nature  of  parables  and  illustrations. 

4.  He  goeth  before  them.  The  good  pastor  not  only  guides  and 
instructs  and  protects  his  flock,  but  he  goes  before  them  by  setting 
an  example  which  they  can  imitate. 

5.  The  faithful  who  are  rightly  instructed,  and  to  whom  the 
porter,  the  Holy  Spirit  by  His  graces,  has  opened  the  door  of  the 
fold,  do  not  follow  after  strangers  or  strange  teachers  and  doctrines. 
They  know  not  the  voice  of  heretics  and  false  guides. 

7.  See  on  verses  i,  2. 

8.  All  others,  etc. ;  i.e.,  all  others  that  have  come  *'  before  me  " 
(as  in  most  MSS.)  as  door,  pretending  to  be  the  Messiah,  such 
as  Theudas,  Judas  of  Galilee,  Sadoc  the  Pharisee  (Acts  v.  36,  37) 
and  others,  "  are  thieves  and  robbers."  Such  also,  in  a  particular 
way,  were  the  Pharisees  who  had  exercised  so  baneful  an  influence 
on  the  people  of  Israel  as  to  close  upon  them  the  door  of  the 
Heavenly  Kingdom. 

9.  Here  Christ  declares  explicitly  that  He  is  the  door  through 
which  His  true  sheep  and  shepherds  must  enter  the  sheepfold.  Those 
who  enter  by  the  door  shall  go  in  and  go  out,  i.e.,  shall  en- 
joy freedom  and  security  in  the  discharge  of  their  duties  and 
offices. 


476  ST.  JOHN  X,  11-16 

11.  I  am  the  good  shepherd.  The  good  shepherd  giveth  his  life  for  his 
sheep. 

12.  But  the  hirehng,  and  he  that  is  not  the  shepherd,  whose  own  the  sheep 
are  not,  seeth  the  wolf  coming,  and  leaveth  the  sheep,  and  flieth :  and  the  wolf 
catcheth,  and  scattereth  the  sheep : 

13.  And  the  hireling  flieth,  because  he  is  a  hireling :  and  he  hath  no  care  for 
the  sheep. 

14.  I  am  the  good  shepherd ;  and  I  know  mine,  and  mine  know  me. 

15.  As  the  Father  knoweth  me,  and  I  know  the  Father:  and  I  lay  down  my 
life  for  my  sheep. 

16.  And  other  sheep  I  have,  that  are  not  of  this  fold  :  them  also  I  must  bring, 
and  they  shall  hear  my  voice,  and  there  shall  be  one  fold  and  one  shepherd. 

II.  I  am  the  good  shepherd.  Dr.  MacRory  holds  that  in  this 
discourse  on  the  good  shepherd  there  are  two  parables,  in  the  first 
of  which  Christ  is  represented  by  the  door  of  the  sheepfold,  and  in 
the  second,  by  the  good  shepherd.  In  this  verse,  according  to  that 
opinion,  begins  the  second  parable,  in  which  our  Lord  appears  as 
the  good  shepherd,  as  foretold  by  the  prophets  (Ezech.  xxxiv.  i,  2, 
II,  15,  16,  22,  23;  Zach.  xi.  17;  Isa.  xl.  11). 

Give  his  life,  etc.  This  is  an  allusion  to  the  Saviour's  Passion 
in  the  prophecy  of  Isaias  (liii.  10),  "  If  he  shall  lay  down  his  life  for 
sin,"  etc. 

14.  I  know  mine,  etc.  The  good  Shepherd  knows  every  member 
of  His  flock,  and  they  know  Him  through  faith.  Further  He  loves 
not  merely  the  Elect,  but  all  His  sheep,  and  if  all  do  not  love  Him, 
that  is  not  His  fault ;  they  are  free  creatures. 

15.  This  verse  continues  from  verse  14,  I  know  mine,  and 
mine  know  me,  as  the  Father  knoweth  me,  and  I  know  the 
Father;  i.e.,  there  is  a  similarity,  not  an  equality,  of  knowledge. 
Christ's  flock  know  Him  only  imperfectly,  at  best,  whereas  His 
knowledge  of  them,  like  the  mutual  knowledge  between  Him  and 
the  Father,  is  perfect. 

I  lay  down  my  life,  etc.,  as  later  in  His  Passion  He  freely  and 
willingly  did,  in  accordance  with  His  Father's  wish  and  will 
(verse  18). 

16.  And  other  sheep  I  have,  etc.  This  refers  to  the  Gentiles  who 
were  to  be  gathered  into  His  Church,  and  whom  He  therefore  speaks 
of,  by  anticipation,  as  His  own.  These  He  brought  to  the  new  fold, 
the  Church,  after  His  Ascension,  through  the  preaching  of  the 
Apostles.    Cf.  Acts  x. 


ST.  JOHN  X,  17-21  477 

17.  Therefore  doth  the  Father  love  me:  because  1  lay  down  my  Ufe,  that 
I  may  take  it  again. 

18.  No  man  taketh  it  away  from  me  :  but  I  lay  it  down  of  myself,  and  I 
have  power  to  lay  it  down  :  and  I  have  power  to  take  it  up  again.  This  com- 
mandment have  I  received  of  my  Father. 

19.  A  dissension  rose  again  among  the  Jews  for  these  words. 

20.  And  many  of  them  said ;  He  hath  a  devil,  and  is  mad :  why  hear  you 
him? 

21.  Others  said:  These  are  not  the  words  of  one  that  hath  a  devil:  Can  a 
devil  open  the  eyes  of  the  blind? 

One  fold,  one  shepherd;  i.e.,  one  flock  {ula  irolnvri)  and  one 
shepherd.  This  distinctly  shows  the  unity  of  Christ's  Church,  and 
the  oneness  of  its  head,  who  is  Christ  Himself  in  the  invisible 
world,  and  the  Pope,  His  representative  in  this  world.  This  verse, 
therefore,  declares:  (a)  that  the  faith  is  also  to  be  preached  to  the 
Gentiles;  (b)  that  the  flock  of  Christ,  composed  alike  of  Jews  and 
Gentiles,  is  to  be  one ;  (c)  that  the  visible  head  of  this  flock  of  Christ 
is  to  be  one  (MacRory). 

17.  That  I  may  take  it  again.  "That"  {Iva),  according  to 
Maldonatus,  here  means,  so  as;  according  to  Patrizi,  on  the  condi- 
tion that.  Our  Lord  has  supreme  control  over  His  own  life  and 
death,  and  this  is  a  proof  of  His  Divinity. 

18.  This  verse  creates  a  difficulty.  In  the  first  part  our  Lord 
seems  clearly  to  say  that  His  death  is  voluntary,  because  freely  sub- 
mitted to,  but  in  the  end  He  declares  that  it  was  commanded  by  the 
Father.  Since  theologians  generally  hold  that  the  death  of  Christ 
was  really  commanded  by  the  Father,  and  since  from  St.  Paul 
(Phil.  ii.  8)  it  is  clear  that  our  Lord  was  commanded  to  die,  and 
that  by  the  "  death  of  the  cross,"  the  most  probable  explanations 
of  the  above  difficulty  are  the  following:  (a)  the  will  of  the  Father 
became  a  command  only  after  it  had  been  freely  accepted  by  Christ, 
and  thus  His  death,  though  commanded,  was  freely  submitted  to 
(Franzelin)  ;  (b)  the  human  will  of  Christ  intrinsically  had  the 
power  to  resist  the  command  of  the  Father,  and  was  consequently 
free  in  yielding  to  death,  although  extrinsic  ally,  by  reason  of  the 
hypostatic  union  of  the  divine  and  human  natures  in  Christ,  it  was 
impossible  that  the  human  will  of  our  Lord  should  ever  be  out  of 
harmony  with  the  will  of  the  Father ;  intrinsically,  therefore,  the 
human  will  of  Christ  freely  accepted  death,  although  extrinsically 
it  could  not  do  otherwise  (Suarez,  a  Lapide)  ;  (c)  Christ  was  able 


478  ST.  JOHN  X,  22-27 

22.  And  it  was  the  feast  of  the  dedication  at  Jerusalem :  and  it  was  winter. 

23.  And  Jesus  walked  in  the  temple,  in  Solomon's  porch. 

24.  The  Jews  therefore  came  round  about  him,  and  said  to  him :  How 
long  dost  thou  hold  our  souls  in  suspense?  If  thou  be  the  Christ,  tell  us 
plainly. 

25.  Jesus  answered  them :  I  speak  to  you,  and  you  believe  not :  the  works 
that  I  do  in  the  name  of  my  Father,  they  give  testimony  of  me. 

26.  But  you  do  not  believe,  because  you  are  not  of  my  sheep. 

2"^.  My  sheep  hear  my  voice :  and  I  know  them,  and  they  follow  me. 

not  to  die,  if  death  be  considered  merely  in  itself,  and  not  as  some- 
thing commanded ;  but  although  Christ  was  not  able  to  refuse  the 
death  commanded  Him,  He  was  nevertheless  free,  because  the  power 
to  disobey  a  command  does  not  pertain  to  liberty ;  in  other  words 
Christ  in  this  instance  possessed  the  liberty  of  exercise,  or  of  con- 
tradiction, which  alone  is  required  for  free  will ;  but  He  did  not 
possess  the  liberty  of  specification  or  contrariety  (Billuart,  De  In- 
carnatione.  Diss,  xviii.  art.  4).  This  last  explanation  seems  best 
to  us. 

22.  The  feast  of  the  dedication.  This  feast  was  instituted  by 
Judas  Machabeus  after  his  victory  over  the  Syrians  about  165  B.C. 
( I  Mach.  iv.  52  flf. ;  2  Mach.  x,  5-8)  to  commemorate  the  purifica- 
tion of  the  Temple  and  the  restoration  of  the  altar  which  had  been 
profaned  for  six  years  by  Antiochus  Epiphanes,  king  of  Syria. 
It  lasted  for  eight  days,  and  was  celebrated  annually,  beginning  on 
the  25th  of  Casleu  (December). 

23.  It  was  bitterly  cold  during  this  feast,  and  our  Lord  to  keep 
warm  walked  to  and  fro  in  Solomon's  porch,  the  eastern  cloister  of 
the  Court  of  the  Gentiles. 

24.  25.  Tell  us  plainly.  Already  in  viii.  12-24,  5^,  59,  and  on 
other  occasions  He  had  told  them  and  showed  them  by  word  and 
deed  that  He  was  the  Christ ;  but  because  they  thought  the  Messiah 
should  be  a  temporal  ruler  and  restore  their  nation  to  independence 
and  prominence,  they  wished  now  to  get  Him  to  proclaim  Himself 
as  such,  so  that  they  might  have  cause  to  denounce  Him  to  Rome. 
Since,  therefore,  the  term  Christ  was  wrongly  understood  by  the 
Jews,  our  Lord  declines  to  answer  their  question  by  a  simple  "  yes  " 
or  "  no."  He  refers  them  to  His  miraculous  works,  performed  in 
the  name  of  His  Father  and  in  proof  of  His  own  claims. 

27.  Sheep  here  refers  to  all  the  faithful. 


ST.  JOHN  X,  28-36  479 

28.  And  I  give  them  life  everlasting;  and  they  shall  not  perish  for  «ver, 
and  no  man  shall  pluck  them  out  of  my  hand. 

29.  That  which  my  Father  hath  given  me,  is  greater  than  all :  and  no  one 
can  snatch  them  out  of  the  hand  of  my  Father. 

30.  I  and  the  Father  are  one. 

31.  The  Jews  then  took  up  stones  to  stone  him. 

Z2.  Jesus  answered  them ;  Many  good  works  I  have  shewed  you  from  my 
Father;  for  which  of  those  works  do  you  stone  me? 

2,2-  The  Jews  answered  him  :  For  a  good  work  we  stone  thee  not,  but  for 
blasphemy;  and  because  that  thou,  being  a  man,  makest  thyself  God. 

34.  Jesus  answered  them  :  Is  it  not  written  in  your  law :  I  said  you  are 
gods? 

35.  If  he  called  them  gods,  to  whom  the  word  of  God  was  spoken,  and  the 
scripture  cannot  be  broken  ; 

36.  Do  you  say  of  him  whom  the  Father  hath  sanctified  and  sent  into  the 
world :  Thou  blasphemest,  because  I  said,  I  am  the  Son  of  God  ? 

28.  As  far  as  lies  with  Him  our  Saviour  gives  life  everlasting  to 
all  His  faithful ;  He  gives  them  grace  here  below,  which  is  the 
beginning  of  life  everlasting,  and  if  they  cooperate  with  His  grace, 
He  will  save  them  eternally. 

29,  30.  That  which  the  Father  hath  given  me;  etc.  Some 
MSS.  have  o  ^kBuiKev;  others,  os  bkbuKev.  The  former  is  perhaps  the 
better  reading,  and  hence  the  meaning  of  the  above  words  is : 
"  That  divinity  or  divine  nature  which  I  have  in  common  with  the 
Father  is  greater  than  all,"  etc.  This  meaning  is  stated  more  clearly 
in  verse  30.  If  v;e  choose  the  second  reading,  the  meaning  is: 
"  My  Father  who  gave  to  Me  (My  sheep)  is  greater  than  all,"  etc. 
The  sense  is  really  the  same  in  both  readings,  and  the  doctrine 
taught  in  these  two  verses  is  the  identity  of  nature  and  power  of 
the  Father  and  the  Son.  It  is  on  account  of  this  unity  and  identity 
between  the  Father  and  the  Son  that  no  one  can  wrest  from  the 
hands  of  the  latter  the  sheep  which  the  Father  has  given  Him ;  the 
hand  of  the  one  is  the  hand  of  the  other. 

31.    See  on  viii.  59. 

34-36.  Written  in  your  law;  i.e.,  in  Ps.  Ixxxi.  6,  7.  Under  the 
name  "  Law  "  our  Lord  here  includes  not  only  the  five  books  of 
Moses,  but  all  the  inspired  writings  which  served  as  the  religious 
and  moral  rule  for  the  people  of  God.  The  fathers,  judges,  and 
princes,  as  ministers  of  God  and  dispensers  of  His  law,  had  a  kind 
of  divine  dignity  and  were  called  gods.  If,  therefore,  the  Scriptures 
do  not  blaspheme  in  applying  the  term  gods  to  mere  human  judges. 


48o  ST.  JOHN  X,  37-42 

3".  If  I  do  not  the  works  of  my  Father,  believe  me  not. 

38.  But  if  I  do,  though  you  will  not  believe  me,  believe  the  works:  that  you 
may  know  and  believe  that  the  Father  is  in  me,  and  I  in  the  Father. 

39.  They  sought  therefore  to  take  him ;  and  he  escaped  out  of  their  hands. 

40.  And  he  went  again  beyond  the  Jordan,  into  that  place  where  John  was 
baptizing  first;  and  there  he  abode. 

41.  And  many  resorted  to  him,  and  they  said :  John  indeed  did  no  sign. 

42.  But  all  things  whatsoever  John  said  of  this  man,  were  true.  And  many 
believed  in  him. 

how  is  Jesus  a  blasphemer  in  calUng-  Himself  God,  since  He  is  the 
very  messenger,  the  sanctified,  the  anointed  of  the  Father  (Le  Camus 
and  others).  Jesus,  therefore,  has  a  right  to  call  Himself  God,  and 
what  is  more,  He  is  God,  as  He  goes  on  to  show  in  the  following 
verses. 

37,  38.  Our  Lord  now  appeals  to  His  miracles  as  proof  of  His 
Divinity  in  the  strict  sense  of  the  term.  The  Father  is  in  Him,  and 
He  is  in  the  Father  as  an  equal  in  an  equal  (St.  Aug.). 

The  consuhstantiality  of  our  Lord  with  His  Father  is  declared 
in  verse  30;  His  divine  Filiation  in  verse  36;  and  His  circiiminces- 
sion  in  verse  38. 

39,  40.  Since  our  Lord  not  only  did  not  retract,  but  emphasized 
His  words,  the  Jews  were  about  to  capture  Him,  but  He  escaped 
from  their  hands  and  went  again  to  Peraea.  to  Bethania,  or  Betha- 
bara,  where  John  had  baptized  (i.  28,  29).  Verse  40  shows  that  our 
Lord  had  been  in  Peraea  before  the  feast  of  the  Dedication.  This 
present  retirement  was  most  likely  in  January  of  the  last  year  of  our 
Lord's  life.  The  parables  spoken  during  this  time  are  recorded  by 
St.  Luke  (xiv-xvi). 

41.  This  verse  shows  that  in  spite  of  the  greatness  and  popularity 
of  John  the  Baptist,  the  people  did  not  attribute  to  him  miraculous 
powers.  Fame  for  miracles  was  not,  then,  a  popular  delusion  in  our 
Lord's  time,  as  the  Rationalists  would  have  us  believe. 


ST.  JOHN  XI,  1-5  481 


CHAPTER  XI 

Lazarus'  Illness  and  Death,  1-16. 

Christ  on  His  Way  to  Lazarus  is  Met  by  the 
Sisters  of  the  Dead  Man  and  by  Many  Jews, 
17-32. 

Lazarus  is  Raised  to  Life,  33-44. 

Many  Believe  in  Jesus  on  Account  of  the 
Miracle,  but  the  Chief  Priests  and  Phari- 
sees are  Angered  and  Resolve  to  Put  Him  to 
Death,  45-56. 

1.  Now  there  was  a  certain  man  sick,  named  Lazarus,  of  Bethania,  of  the 
town  of  Mary  and  of  Martha  her  sister. 

2.  (And  Mary  was  she  that  anointed  the  Lord  with  ointment,  and  wiped 
his  feet  with  her  hair:  whose  brother  Lazarus  was  sick.) 

3.  His  sisters  therefore  sent  to  him,  saying:  Lord,  behold,  he  whom  thou 
lovest  is  sick. 

4.  And  Jesus  hearing  it,  said  to  them :  This  sickness  is  not  unto  death   but 
for  the  glory  of  God :  that  the  Son  of  God  may  be  glorified  by  it. 

5.  Now  Jesus  loved  Martha,  and  her  sister  Mary,  and  Lazarus. 

I.  The  raising  of  Lazarus  to  life  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
and  important  narratives  of  the  Gospel  history,  and  yet  it  gives  rise 
to  one  of  the  greatest  difficulties.  It  is  beautiful  in  its  naturalne.ss 
and  completeness,  bearing  at  every  step  its  own  assurance  of  truth- 
fulness ;  it  is  of  highest  importance,  as  being  the  one  event  finally 
to  provoke  the  Sanhedrim  to  extreme  measures  against  Jesus;  it 
is  unsurpassed  in  the  difficulty  it  creates,  since  it  is  passed  over  in 
complete  silence  by  the  Synoptic  Gospels.  St.  John's  failure  to 
recount  the  institution  of  the  Eucharist  is  the  only  other  event  in  all 
the  Gospels  whose  omission  causes  such  wonder  and  astonishment 
as  does  the  silence  of  the  Synoptics  in  regard  to  the  resurrection 
of  Lazarus.  For  both  omissions  there  seems,  indeed,  only  one 
explanation  of  value,  and  that  is  the  fragmentary  character  of  the 
Gospels. 

Bethania,  or  Bethany,  on   the  eastern  slope  of   the   Mount   of 
Olives,  about  two  miles  from  Jerusalem. 
2.    See  on  Luke  vii.  37,  38. 
4.  This  sickness  is  not  unto  death;  i.e.,  the  death  which  will 


482  ST.  JOHN  XI,  6-17 

6.  When  he  had  heard  therefore  that  he  was  sick,  he  still  remained  in  the 
same  place  two  days. 

7.  Then  after  that,  he  said  to  his  disciples :  Let  us  go  into  Judea  again. 

8.  The  disciples  say  to  him :  Rabbi,  the  Jews  but  now  sought  to  stone  thee : 
and  goest  thou  thither  again  ? 

9.  Jesus  answered:  Are  there  not  twelve  hours  of  the  day?  If  a  man  walk 
in  the  day,  he  stumbleth  not,  because  he  seeth  the  light  of  this  world : 

10.  But  if  he  walk  in  the  night,  he  stumbleth,  because  the  light  is  not  in  him. 

11.  These  things  he  said;  and  after  that  he  said  to  them:  Lazarus  our 
friend  sleepeth ;  but  I  go  that  I  may  awake  him  out  of  sleep. 

12.  His  disciples  therefore  said :  Lord,  if  he  sleep,  he  shall  do  well. 

13.  But  Jesus  spoke  of  his  death;  and  they  thought  that  he  spoke  of  the 
repose  of  sleep. 

14.  Then  therefore  Jesus  said  to  them  plainly :  Lazarus  is  dead. 

15.  And  I  am  glad,  for  your  sakes,  that  I  was  not  there,  that  you  may  be- 
lieve :  but  let  us  go  to  him. 

16.  Thomas  therefore,  who  is  called  Didymus,  said  to  his  fellow  disciples : 
Let  us  also  go,  that  we  may  die  with  him. 

17.  Jesus  therefore  came,  and  found  that  he  had  been  four  days  already  in 
the  grave. 

result  is  not  definitive,  not  the  end  of  his  mortal  life,  but  only  to 
afford  occasion  for  a  miracle. 

6.  Our  Lord  remained  where  He  was,  probably  at  Bethabara, 
two  days  after  receiving  the  message  about  Lazarus'  death,  not  out  of 
indifference,  but  in  order  to  render  the  miracle  which  was  to  follow 
the  more  convincing  by  permitting  the  man  to  be  some  time  dead. 

9,  ID.  The  meaning  here  is :  As  the  daytime  is  a  determined 
period  of  light  in  which  one  may  walk  without  fear  of  stumbling, 
so  the  mortal  life  of  our  Lord  was  a  fixed  period  in  which  there 
was  nothing  to  fear  before  the  time  determined  by  the  Eternal 
Father.  But  after  this  time  determined  by  the  Father  is  reached, 
then  there  will  be  reason  for  fear. 

15.  Our  Lord  rejoices  that  He  was  not  present  at  the  death  of 
Lazarus,  because  now,  that  Lazarus  has  been  dead  for  some  days, 
the  miracle  that  shall  be  performed  will  be  the  more  convincing  to 
the  disciples,  and  will,  therefore,  strengthen  their  faith, 

16.  Didymus  is  the  Greek  for  the  Aramaic  word  Thomas,  and 
means  a  twin.  Thomas  feared  our  Lord  would  be  killed,  and  yet 
he  IS  willing,  and  encourages  the  other  Apostles,  to  go  and  share 
death  with  the  Master. 

17.  Four  days  in  the  grave.  The  Jews  were  accustomed  to  bury 
their  dead  on  the  same  day  on  which  they  died.     The  messengers 


ST.  JOHN  XI,  18-32  483 

18.  (Now  Bethania  was  near  Jerusalem,  about  fifteen  furlongs  off  ) 

19.  And  many  of  the  Jews  were  come  to  Martha  and  Mary,  to' comfort 
them  concerning  their  brother  ^oraiorc 

n,e::'hfm^tVM:ryrt  a?hr  ^^  '''  '''''  '"''  ^-'  ^^^  ^^^  ^^  - 

broTh.^'h^TLl'diet^^   ''''  "  '''^'-   "°^^-   '  ''^^  '^'^'  ^-"  ^--  - 

iv'e"it^hee"°'^  ^^'"^  ^  ''""'^  ^^^^  whatsoever  thou  wilt  ask  of  God,  God  will 

23.  Jesus  saith  to  her :  Thy  brother  shall  rise  again 

at  ?he  hs't'dty.''''''  '^  ^'"^ '  ^  ^"°''  *^''  ^"  '^'"  "'"  "^''"'  '"  '^'  resurrection 

in  ";\S:uSVe\e^d;ad,^:?JnVvr^^^"^°"  ^"'  ^^^^  ''^^  ^  ''  ''^'  '''-^^' 

Beiteitihr:h'is°r  *'"  '^"''  ^"'  '^"^^"'^  ^"  '"^'  ^^^^' "-  ^-  ^-  --• 

Sol'onu    f'^  '"r^T'-  u'"'  ^°'^'  ^  '^^^^  ''^'■^"^^  that  thou  art  Christ  the 
bon  of  the  hvmg  God,  who  art  come  into  this  world 

28.  And  when  she  had  said  these  things,  she  went,  and  called  her  sister 
Mary  secretly,  saymg :  The  master  is  come,  and  calleth  for  thee 

29.  She,  as  soon  as  she  heard  this,  riseth  quickly,  and  cometh  to  him 

30.  For  Jesus  was  not  yet  come  into  the  town  :  but  he  was  still  in  thai  place 
where  Martha  had  met  him.  ^ 

31.  The  Jews  therefore,  who  were  with  her  in  the  house,  and  comforted  her 
when  they  saw  Mary  that  she  rose  up  speedily  and  went  out,  followed  her 
saying :  She  goeth  to  the  grave  to  weep  there. 

32.  When  Mary  therefore  was  come  where  Jesus  was,  seeing  him,  she  fell 
haTnoTdtd       '  "'''  '°  ''"  '  '^''''  ''  ^'°"  ""''''  ^^^"  h^--  "^y  b-ther 

likely  started  for  Jesus  immediately  after  the  death  of  Lazarus,  and 
as  the  Saviour  was  some  distance  away  from  Bethany  and  remained 
two  days  after  getting  the  message,  the  four  days  in  the  grave  are 
easily  understood. 

18.  Fifteen  furlongs;  i.e.,  about  two  miles.  See  on  vi.  19. 
21-23.  Martha  has  faith  in  our  Lord,  and  hopes  that  He  may 
still  do  something  for  her  dead  brother,  but  her  faith  is  not  entirely 
perfect.  To  try  her  faith  Jesus  purposely  uses  ambiguous  language. 
25,  26.  Here  our  Lord  declares  that  He  is  the  author  and  cause 
of  the  resurrection  of  the  dead,  and  of  the  enduring  life  of  the 
hvmg;  if  any  one,  believing  in  Him  and  living  according  to  His 
doctrine,  die,  his  death  shall  be  only  the  prelude  to  his  resurrection 
and  to  life  everlasting. 

27.    Martha  professes  her  unqualified  belief  in  the  Divinity  of 
Jesus,  and  thereby  implies  her  belief  in  all  that  He  says. 


484  ST.  JOHN  XI,  33-41 

33.  Jesus,  therefore,  when  he  saw  her  weeping,  and  the  Jews  that  were  come 
with  her,  weeping,  groaned  in  the  spirit,  and  troubled  himself, 

34.  And  said  :  Where  have  yon  laid  him?  They  say  to  him  :  Lord,  come  and 
see. 

35.  And  Jesus  wept. 

36.  The  Jews  therefore  said :  Behold  how  he  loved  him. 

37.  But  some  of  them  said :  Could  not  he  that  opened  the  eyes  of  the  man 
born  blind,  have  caused  that  this  man  should  not  die? 

38.  Jesus  therefore  again  groaning  in  himself,  cometh  to  the  sepulchre. 
Now  it  was  a  cave ;  and  a  stone  was  laid  over  it. 

39.  Jesus  saith:  Take  away  the  stone.  Martha,  the  sister  of  him  that  was 
dead,  saith  to  him :  Lord,  by  this  time  he  stinketh,  for  he  is  now  of  four  days. 

40.  Jesus  saith  to  her :  Did  not  I  say  to  thee,  that  if  thou  believe,  thou  shalt 
see  the  glory  of  God? 

41.  They  took  therefore  the  stone  away.  And  Jesus  lifting  up  his  eyes 
said :  Father,  I  give  thee  thanks  that  thou  hast  heard  me. 

33.  Groaned.  The  real  meaning  of  the  Greek  word,  ivi^pin-ljaaTo, 
here  translated  groaned,  is,  He  was  angry.  What  was  the  cause 
of  His  indignation?  Some  say  it  was  sin  and  death,  or  Satan,  the 
source  of  sin  and  death ;  others,  that  it  was  the  internal  struggle 
of  the  soul,  which  eagerly  wished  to  work  the  miracle,  but  at  the 
same  tiiue  foresaw  the  fatal  consequences  that  this  work  would 
entail  for  Him.  To  raise  Lazarus  was  to  sign  His  own  death  war- 
rant (Le  Camus,  Life  of  Christ,  vol.  ii.  p.  455).  This  latter  opinion 
seems  the  more  probable. 

35.  Jesus  wept.  This  shows  the  tenderness  of  our  Lord's 
humanity.  As  His  Divinity  was  made  manifest  by  the  miracle  He 
was  about  to  perform,  so  His  humanity  was  clearly  demonstrated 
by  thus  sharing  in  the  grief  of  those  He  loved.  Truly  refined  and 
superior  natures  are  always  capable  of  a  most  delicate  tenderness 
and  susceptibility,  however  much  these  qualities  may  be  held  in 
restraint. 

38.  The  Jews  usually  buried  their  dead  in  caves  or  vaults  hol- 
lowed out  of  a  rock.    Cf.  Gen.  xxiii.  9;  Isa.  xxii.  16;  John  xix.  41. 

39.  Comparison  of  this  verse  with  verse  17  shows  that  Lazarus 
must  have  been  buried  the  very  day  he  died. 

40.  The  glory  of  God;  i.e.,  the  power  of  God.  It  is  not  certain 
just  when  our  Lord  said  this.  Some  think  it  was  in  verse  4,  others 
in  verses  23-26. 

41.  Father,  I  give  thee  thanks.  Our  Lord,  as  man,  gave  thanks 
to  His  Father  for  the  power  He  was  about  to  exercise.     That  He 


ST.  JOHN  XI,  42-53  485 

42.  And  I  knew  that  thou  hearest  me  always ;  but  because  of  the  people  who 
stand  about  have  I  said  it,  that  they  may  believe  that  thou  hast  sent  me. 

43.  When  he  had  said  these  things,  he  cried  with  a  loud  voice  :  Lazarus, 
come  forth. 

44.  And  presently  he  that  had  been  dead  came  forth,  bound  feet  and  hands 
with  winding  bands;  and  his  face  was  bound  about  with  a  napkin.  Jesus  said 
to  them  :  Loose  him,  and  let  him  go. 

45.  Many  therefore  of  the  Jews,  who  were  come  to  Mary  and  Martha,  and 
had  seen  the  things  that  Jesus  did,  believed  in  him. 

46.  But  some  of  them  went  to  the  Pharisees,  and  told  them  the  things  that 
Jesus  had  done. 

47.  The  chief  priests  therefore,  and  the  Pharisees,  gathered  a  council,  and 
said:  What  do  we,  for  this  man  doth  many  miracles? 

48.  If  we  let  him  alone  so,  all  will  believe  in  him;  and  the  Romans  will 
come,  and  take  away  our  place  and  nation. 

49.  But  one  of  them,  named  Caiphas,  being  the  high  priest  that  year,  said  to 
them  :  You  know  nothing. 

50.  Neither  do  you  consider  that  it  is  expedient  for  you  that  one  man 
should  die  for  the  people,  and  that  the  whole  nation  perish  not. 

51.  And  this  he  spoke  not  of  himself:  but  being  the  high  priest  of  that 
year,  he  prophesied  that  Jesus  should  die  for  the  nation. 

52.  And  not  only  for  the  nation,  but  to  gather  together  in  one  the  children 
of  God,  that  were  dispersed. 

53.  From  that  day  therefore  they  devised  to  put  him  to  death. 

did  not  enter  the  sepulchre,  as  some  adversaries  have  said,  is  evident 
from  the  words,  "  Lazarus,  come  forth  "  (verse  43). 

42.  The  raising  of  Lazarus  from  the  dead  was  a  pubhc  and  very 
manifest  proof  of  the  Divinity  of  Christ.  It  was  performed  pre- 
cisely as  a  proof  of  all  He  had  been  claiming  to  be;  namely,  that 
He  was  the  Son  of  God  (verse  4),  that  He  was  one  with  the  Father 
(x.  2&-30),  that  He  had  been  sent  by  the  Father,  as  here  stated. 

49-52.  You  know  nothing,  etc.  Caiphas  meant  to  say  that,  in 
order  to  prevent  the  Romans  from  destroying  their  Temple,  city, 
and  nation,  Jesus,  who  might  be  regarded  as  a  rival  king,  should 
be  put  to  death.  But  the  Holy  Ghost,  speaking  through  these  same 
words  of  Caiphas,  as  St.  John  tells  us,  meant  that  the  death  of 
Jesus  was  necessary  for  the  eternal  salvation  of  the  human  race. 
From  this  it  is  evident  that  a  prophet  may  not  be  a  good  man  him- 
self, and  that  he  may  not  always  know  the  inspiration  of  his  words. 
Cf.  Num.  xxii-xxiv. 

High-priest  of  that  year.  The  High-priest  was  supposed  to  be 
irremovable  (Num.  xxxv.  28),  but  the  Romans  had  done  away  with 
this  life  dignity.    The  immediate  predecessors  of  Caiphas,  —  Simon, 


486  ST.  JOHN  XI,  54-56;  XII,  1,  2 

54.  Vyherefore  Jesus  walked  no  more  openly  among  the  Jews ;  but  he  went 
into  a  country  near  the  desert,  unto  a  city  that  is  called  Ephrem,  and  there  he 
abode  with  his  disciples. 

55.  And  the  pasch  of  the  Jews  was  at  hand;  and  many  from  the  country 
went  up  to  Jerusalem,  before  the  pasch  to  purify  themselves. 

56.  They  sought  therefore  for  Jesus;  and  they  discoursed  one  with  another, 
standing  in  the  temple :  What  think  you  that  he  is  not  come  to  the  festival 
day?  And  the  chief  priests  and  Pharisees  had  given  a  commandment,  that  if 
any  man  knew  where  he  was,  he  should  tell,  that  they  might  apprehend  him. 

Eleazar,  and  Ismael,  had  held  their  office  for  only  one  year;  and 
thereafter  it  was  naturally  expected  that  the  High-priest  would  be 
changed  each  year.  St.  John,  however,  merely  states  that  Caiphas 
was  the  High-priest  that  particular  year,  without  saying  anything 
about  the  length  of  his  tenure  of  office. 

54.  Ephrem,  which  was  situated  in  the  hills  of  Judea,  abouc  fif- 
teen or  twenty  miles  north-east  of  Jerusalem. 

55.  The  pasch  of  the  Jews,  which  was  the  last  of  our  Lord's 
public  life. 

To  purify  themselves,  from  legal  uncleannesses  (Lev.  vii.  21 ; 
Num.  ix.  10;  Acts  xxi.  24-26). 


CHAPTER  XII 

The  Supper  at  Bethany,  i-ii. 

The  Next  Day  Jesus  Enters  Triumphantly  into 

Jerusalem,  12-19. 
The  Homage  of  Some  Gentiles,  20-36. 
The  Faithlessness  of  the  Jews,  37-50. 

1.  Jesus  therefore,  six  days  before  the  pasch,  came  to  Bethania,  where  Laz- 
arus had  been  dead,  whom  Jesus  raised  to  life. 

2.  And  they  made  him  a  supper  there :  and  Martha  served  :  but  Lazarus  was 
one  of  them  that  were  at  table  with  him. 

1.  Six  days  before  the  pasch;  i.e.,  on  Saturday  the  eighth  of 
Nisan,  perhaps  towards  evening.  The  Pasch  or  Passover  was  cele- 
brated on  the  14th  of  Nisan  (Lev.  xxiii.  5).  The  pasch.  See 
on  Matthew  xxvi.  2. 

Bethania.    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  6. 

2.  It  is  clear  from  this  verse  that  the  supper  was  not  given  by  the 
family  of  Lazarus,  since  Lazarus  is  mentioned  only  as  a  casual 


ST.  JOHN  XII,  3-14  487 

3.  Mary  therefore  took  a  pound  of  ointment  of  right  spikenard,  of  great 
price,  and  anointed  the  feet  of  Jesus,  and  wiped  his  feet  with  her  hair;  and 
the  house  was  filled  with  the  odour  of  the  ointment. 

4.  Then  one  of  his  disciples,  Judas  Iscariot,  he  that  was  about  to  betray 
him,  said : 

5.  Why  was  not  this  ointment  sold  for  three  hundred  pence,  and  given  to 
the  poor? 

6.  Now  he  said  this,  not  because  he  cared  for  the  poor ;  but  because  he  was 
a  thief,  and  having  the  purse,  carried  the  things  that  were  put  therein. 

7.  Jesus  therefore  said .  Let  her  alone,  that  she  may  keep  it  against  the  day 
of  my  burial. 

8.  For  the  poor  you  have  always  with  you;  but  me  you  have  not  always. 

9.  A  great  multitude  therefore  of  the  Jews  knew  that  he  was  there;  and 
they  came,  not  for  Jesus'  sake  only,  but  that  they  might  see  Lazarus,  whom  he 
had  raised  from  the  dead. 

10.  But  the  chief  priests  thought  to  kill  Lazarus  also : 

11.  Because  many  of  the  Jews,  by  reason  of  him.  went  away,  and  believed 
in  Jesus. 

12.  And  on  the  next  day,  a  great  multitude  that  was  come  to  the  festival 
day,  when  they  had  heard  that  Jesus  was  coming  to  Jerusalem, 

13.  Took  branches  of  palm  trees,  and  went  forth  to  meet  him,  and  cried : 
Hosanna,  blessed  is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  the  king  of  Israel. 

14.  And  Jesus  found  a  young  ass,  and  sat  upon  it,  as  it  is  written : 

guest.  The  host  was  Simon  the  leper  (Matthew  xxvi.  6;  Mark  xiv. 
3)  who  gave  this  banquet  in  honor  of  our  Lord  and  His  disciples 
out  of  gratitude,  no  doubt,  for  the  cure  which  he  had  received  from 
the  Master. 

3.  See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  7.  Right  spikenard ;  i.e.,  genuine  nard 
or  ointment ;  according  to  others,  it  means  liquid  nard  or  ointment. 
St.  John  tells  us  that  Mary  anointed  our  Lord's  feet,  thus  supple- 
menting Matthew  and  Mark,  who  mention  the  anointing  of  His 
head  only. 

4,  5.  See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  8;  Mark  xiv.  5.  Sts.  Matthew  and 
Mark  speak  as  if  at  least  two  of  the  disciples  murmured,  but  they 
probably  used  the  plural  in  an  indefinite  manner.  If  other  disciples 
than  Judas  did  complain,  their  motives  certainly  could  not  have 
been  the  same  as  his. 

7.  See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  12. 

8.  The  poor  you  have,  etc.,  as  said  in  Deut.  xv.  it. 

Me  you  have  not  always ;  i.e.,  in  My  mortal  body  and  visible  form. 

12.  The  next  day,  which  we  take  to  have  been  Palm  Sunday, 
the  day  following  the  banquet  at  Bethany. 

13.  14.    See  on  Matthew  xxi.  7-9;  and  on  Luke  xix.  29. 


488  ST.  JOHN  XII,  15-26 

15.  Fear  not,  daughter  of  Sion :  behold,  thy  king  cometh,  sitting  on  an 
ass's  colt. 

16.  These  things  his  disciples  did  not  know  at  the  first;  but  when  Jesus  was 
glorified,  then  they  remembered  that  these  things  were  written  of  him,  and 
that  they  had  done  these  things  to  him. 

17.  The  multitude  therefore  gave  testimony,  which  was  with  him,  when  he 
called  Lazarus  out  of  the  grave,  and  raised  him  from  the  dead. 

18.  For  which  reason  also  the  people  came  to  meet  him,  because  they  heard 
that  he  had  done  this  miracle. 

19.  The  Pharisees  therefore  said  among  themselves :  Do  you  see  that  we 
prevail  nothing?  behold,  the  whole  world  is  gone  after  him. 

20.  Now  there  were  certain  Gentiles  among  them,  who  came  up  to  adore  on 
the  festival  day. 

21.  These  therefore  came  to  Philip,  who  was  of  Bethsaida  of  Galilee,  and 
desired  him,  saying :  Sir,  we  would  see  Jesus. 

22.  Philip  cometh,  and  telleth  Andrew.  Again  Andrew  and  Philip  told 
Jesus. 

23.  But  Jesus  answered  them,  saying :  The  hour  is  come,  that  the  Son  of 
man  should  be  glorified. 

24.  Amen,  amen  I  say  to  you,  unless  the  grain  of  wheat  falling  into  the 
ground  die, 

25.  Itself  remaineth  alone.  But  if  it  die,  it  bringeth  forth  much  fruit.  He 
that  loveth  his  life  shall  lose  it ;  and  he  that  hatheth  his  life  in  this  world, 
keepeth  it  unto  life  eternal. 

26.  If  any  man  minister  to  me,  let  him  follow  me;  and  where  I  am,  there 
also  shall  my  minister  be.  If  any  man  minister  to  me,  him  will  my  Father 
honour. 

15.  This  quotation  is  from  Zach.  ix.  9. 

16.  St.  Matthew  (xxi.  4)  tells  us  that  these  things  were  done 
in  order  that  the  prophecy  might  be  fulfilled.  From  the  present 
verse  we  see  that  the  disciples  did  not  know  this  until  Jesus  was 
glorified,  i.e.,  until  the  day  of  Pentecost  (Acts  ii.  4),  when  their 
minds  were  enlightened  by  the  Holy  Ghost. 

20.  Certain  Gentiles;  i.e.,  certain  Hellenists  or  Greeks.  These 
were  Gentiles  who  went  up  to  Jerusalem  every  year  to  adore 
Jehovah.  They  were  Greek  in  origin  and  speech,  and  must  be  dis- 
tinguished from  the  Greek-speaking  Jews  who  lived  in  pagan  lands. 

23.  The  hour  is  come,  etc. ;  i.e.,  the  time  of  His  death,  glorious 
Resurrection  and  Ascension. 

24.  Just  as  it  is  necessary  for  the  seed  to  die,  or  change  its  form, 
before  it  can  germinate  into  the  living  grain,  so  says  our  Lord,  is 
it  necessary  for  Him  to  die  in  order  to  be  glorified.  Cf.  i  Cor. 
XV.  36. 

25.  See  on  Matthew  x.  39;  xvi.  25. 


ST.  JOHN  XII,  27-31  489 

27.  Now  is  my  soul  troubled.  And  what  shall  I  say?  Father,  save  mc  from 
this  hour.    But  for  this  cause  1  came  unto  this  hour. 

28.  Father,  glorify  thy  name.  A  voice  therefore  came  from  heaven  :  I  have 
both  glorified  it,  and  will  glorify  it  again. 

29.  The  multitude  therefore  that  stood  and  heard,  said  that  it  thundered. 
Others  said :  An  angel  spoke  to  him. 

30.  Jesus  answered,  and  said :  This  voice  came  not  because  of  me,  but  for 
your  sakes. 

31.  Now  is  the  judgment  of  the  world:  now  shall  the  prince  of  this  world 
be  cast  out. 

2^.  To  show  the  reality  of  His  human  nature  our  Lord  now 
manifests  fear  and  dread  at  the  thought  of  His  approaching  Pas- 
sion ;  and  yet  He  represses  this  feehng  by  saying,  "  But  for  this 
cause  I  came  unto  this  hour,"  just  as  later  during  His  Passion  He 
checked  a  similar  impulse  in  the  words,  "  not  my  will,  but  thine 
be  done  "  (Luke  xxii.  42-44). 

28.  Father,  glorify  thy  name.  As  is  evident  from  the  Father's 
response,  the  direct  object  of  glorification  in  both  instances  seems 
to  be  the  Father's  name  (MacRory).  The  Fathers,  however,  gen- 
erally make  our  Lord  the  object  of  glorification ;  but  they  do  not 
agree  in  their  explanation.  That  is  to  say,  the  Latin  Fathers  take 
the  sense  to  be :  I  have  glorified  Thee  (Son)  from  all  eternity,  and 
will  glorify  Thee  again  as  God-man  after  Thy  Ascension.  But  the 
Greek  Fathers  say  the  meaning  is:  I  have  already  glorified  Thee 
(Christ)  by  numerous  miracles,  and  will  again  glorify  Thee  through 
the  miracles  of  Thy  death,  Resurrection,  Ascension,  etc.  Through 
the  Son,  of  course,  the  Father  is  always  indirectly  glorified. 

30.  For  your  sakes;  i.e.,  to  convince  you  that  I  am  what  I  tell 
you. 

31.  The  judgment  of  the  world.  To  be  judged  is  to  be  con- 
demned or  to  be  liberated.  Whether  there  is  question  here  of  the 
liberation  or  condemnation  of  the  world  is  disputed.  St.  Augustine, 
Maldonatus,  and  others  hold  that  the  liberation  and  salvation  of  the 
world  from  the  yoke  of  Satan  is  spoken  of  here.  But  St.  Chrysostom 
and  most  of  the  Greek  Fathers  say  that  St.  John,  in  the  present 
instance,  is  speaking  of  the  judgment  of  condemnation.  Hence  in 
this  opinion  the  world  is  to  be  condemned  in  its  evil  works,  in  its 
wicked  representatives,  and  above  all  in  its  malicious  "  prince,"  the 
devil,  who  is  to  be  vanquished  and  cast  out.  Doubtless  these  two 
opinions  can  he  made  to  harmonize,  for  the  condemnation  and  cast- 


490  ST.  JOHN  XII,  32-40 

32.  And  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth,  will  draw  all  things  to  myself. 

33.  (Now  this  he  said,  signifying  what  death  he  should  die.) 

34.  The  multitude  answered  him :  We  have  heard  out  of  the  law,  that  Christ 
abideth  for  ever;  and  how  sayest  thou:  The  Son  of  man  must  be  lifted  up? 
Who  is  this  Son  of  man? 

35.  Jesus  therefore  said  to  them :  Yet  a  little  while,  the  light  is  among  you. 
Walk  whilst  you  have  the  light,  that  the  darkness  overtake  you  not.  And  he 
that  walketh  in  darkness,  knoweth  not  whither  he  goeth. 

36.  Whilst  you  have  the  light,  believe  in  the  light,  that  you  may  be  the  chil- 
dren of  light.  These  things  Jesus  spoke;  and  he  went  away,  and  hid  himself 
from  them. 

37.  And  whereas  he  had  done  so  many  miracles  before  them,  they  believed 
not  in  him : 

38.  That  the  saying  of  Isaias  the  prophet  might  be  fulfilled,  which  he  said : 
Lord,  who  hath  believed  our  hearing?  and  to  whom  hath  the  arm  of  the  Lord 
been  revealed? 

39.  Therefore  they  could  not  believe,  because  Isaias  said  again : 

40.  He  hath  blinded  their  eyes,  and  hardened  their  heart,  that  they  should 
not  see  with  their  eyes,  nor  understand  with  their  heart,  and  be  converted,  and 
I  should  heal  them. 

ing  out  of  the  wicked  one  means  the  liberation  and  salvation  of  the 
world. 

32.  St.  John  in  the  following  verse  gives  us  an  interpretation  of 
this  present  one.  Our  Lord  predicts  that  after  His  death  on  the 
cross  He  will  draw  all  things  (■7ravTa\,  all  peoples  /Trdi'Tos),  both 
Jews  and  Gentiles,  to  Himself. 

34.  Out  of  the  law;  i.e.,  from  the  Scriptures.  The  objectors 
doubtless  had  in  mind  such  passages  as  Dan.  vii.  13,  14;  Isa.  ix. 
6,  7;  Ps.  Ixxxviii.  26-37;  ^^c.,  which  seemed  to  say  that  "Christ 
remaineth  forever."  They  forgot  those  other  passages  of  the  in- 
spired books,  such  as  Dan.  ix.  26,  and  Isa.  liii,  which  announced 
that  the  Messiah  must  suffer  and  die. 

35.  Yet  a  little  while,  etc.  Our  Lord  replies  to  the  questions 
of  the  Jews  that  He  will  be  with  them  on  earth  in  a  visible  manner 
only  a  little  while  longer,  and  that  they  should  make  use  of 
His  bodily  presence  to  the  best  advantage  while  they  have  it. 
Darkness  here  means,  according  to  some,  sin  and  unbelief; 
according  to  others,  the  death  of  Christ,  as  opposed  to  His  visible 
presence. 

38.  Our  hearing;  i.e.,  our  message  to  them  from  God  (Isa.  liii. 
I ;  Rom.  x.  16). 

39,  40.    See  on  Matthew  xiii.  13-15.     Almighty  God  withdraws 


ST.  JOHN  XII,  41-50  491 

41.  These  things  said  Isaias,  when  he  saw  his  glory,  and  spoke  of  him. 

42.  However,  many  of  the  chief  men  also  believed  in  him;  but  because  of 
the  Pharisees  they  did  not  confess  him,  that  they  might  not  be  cast  out  of  the 
synagogue. 

43-  For  they  loved  the  glory  of  men  more  than  the  glory  of  God. 

44.  But  Jesus  cried,  and  said :  He  that  believeth  in  me,  doth  not  believe  in 
me,  but  in  him  that  sent  me. 

45.  And  he  that  seeth  me,  seeth  him  that  sent  me. 

46.  I  am  come  a  light  into  the  world ;  that  whosoever  believeth  in  me,  may 
not  remain  in  darkness. 

47.  And  if  any  man  hear  my  words,  and  keep  them  not,  I  do  not  judge  him  : 
for  I  came  not  to  judge  the  world,  but  to  save  the  world. 

48.  He  that  despiseth  me,  and  receiveth  not  my  words,  hath  one  that  judg- 
eth  him;  the  word  that  I  have  spoken,  the  same  shall  judge  him  in  the  last 
day. 

49.  For  I  have  not  spoken  of  myself;  but  the  Father  who  sent  me,  he  gave 
me  commandment  what  I  should  say,  and  what  I  should  speak. 

50.  And  I  know  that  his  commandment  is  life  everlasting.  The  things  there- 
fore that  I  speak,  even  as  the  Father  said  unto  me,  so  do  I  speak. 

His  graces  from  the  persistent,  wilful  sinner  and  thus  permits  him 
to  become  hardened  and  blinded.  In  the  Septuagint  of  Isa.  vi.  9,  10 
it  is  the  people  that  hardens  its  own  heart ;  and  in  Hebrew,  it  is  the 
prophet  Isaias  himself  who  is  to  blind  and  harden  this  people. 
The  prophet  means  that  God  will  accomplish  this  through  him; 
and  thus  it  is,  as  St.  John  here  observes,  that  God  has  blinded  and 
hardened  Israel. 

41.  His  glory.  This  vision  is  related  by  Isaias  (vi.  1-5).  Most 
likely  the  Son  of  God  appeared  Himself  to  the  prophet  on  this 
occasion. 

42.  The  chief  men;  i.e.,  members  of  the  Sanhedrim.    Cf.  ix.  22. 
44,  45.    It  is  uncertain  just  when  the  words  of  our  Lord  in  the 

rest  of  this  chapter  were  spoken ;  they  are  a  summing  up  of  former 
discourses.  In  these  verses  Christ  positively  asserts  His  substantial 
identity  with  the  Father. 

46.  In  darkness;  i.e.,  in  sin  and  unbelief. 

47.  I  do  not  judge  him;  i.e.,  T  do  not  condemn  him.  At  His 
first  coming  our  Lord  was  to  save,  not  to  condemn.  Cf.  iii.  17; 
viii.  15,  50. 

48.  Hath  one  that  judgeth  him ;  namely,  the  Father ;  and  on  the 
last  day  he  shall  be  condemned  by  My  words  also. 

49.  50.    Those  who  rejected  the  words  of  Christ  thereby  rejected 


492  ST.  JOHN  XIII,  1,  2 

the  words  of  the  Father  also,  and  by  rejecting  the  words  of  the 
P'ather  they  cast  away  their  chance  for  eternal  life.  This  is  what 
will  stand  against  them  in  the  day  of  judgment. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

The  Washing  of  the  Feet  and  the  Last  Supper, 
1-17. 

The  Prediction  of  tmic  Bkikayal  by  Judas,  18-30. 

Jesus  I^rkdicts  His  Own  Dkatji  and  Gu)I<ifica- 
TioN,  Gives  the  New  Commandment  oi-  Chris- 
tian Charity,  and  Foretells  the  Trji'LE 
Denial  of  Peter,  31-38. 

1.  Before  the  festival  day  of  the  pasch,  Jesus  knowing  that  his  hour  was 
come,  that  he  should  pass  out  of  this  world  to  the  Father:  havin><  loved  h\% 
own  who  were  in  the  world,  he  loved  them  unto  the  end. 

2.  And  when  supper  was  done,  (the  devil  having  now  put  into  the  heart  of 
Judas  Iscariot,  the  son  of  Simon,  to  betray  him,; 

1.  St.  John  here  (verses  1-20;  and  St.  Luke  (xxii.  24-30) 
coincide  in  a  remarkable  manner,  —  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  it  is 
thought  the  two  narratives  ought  to  be  united  in  one,  in  order  to 
have  their  natural  meaning  and  succession   ( Le  Camus  j. 

Before  the  festal  day  of  the  pasch.  There  are  chiefly  two  ways 
of  unrjerslanding  these  w(jrds  :  (aj  they  mean  the  evening  of  the  13th 
of  Nisan,  if  we  hold  that  Christ  anticipated  by  a  day  the  Paschal 
Feast  the  last  year  of  His  life;  (h)  they  mean  the  evening  of  the 
14th  of  Nisan,  if  we  say  that  our  Lord  that  year  celebrated  the 
Paschal  Supper  on  the  day  appointed  by  the  Law,  and  that  St.  John, 
who  wrote  his  Gospel  sixty  years  later,  was  speaking  oi  the  civil 
computation  of  time,  from  midnight  to  midnight.  Sfe  discussion  of 
this  question  on  Matthew  xxvi.   17. 

He  loved  them  unto  the  end;  i.e.,  fr>  the  end,  or  extreme  limits, 
of  love.     The  words  do  not  mean,  to  the  end  of  His  hie  oiily. 

2.  And  when  supper  was  done.  The  C/rfek  is  htlirvov  ytuontvov, 
at  least  in  many  of  the  best  .\1.SS.,  unA  the  meaning  is:  "  Whon  the 
meal  was  just  beginning  ";  or,  "  during  tlu-  supper."     If  we  choose 


ST.  JOHN  XIII,  3-9  493 

3.  Knowing  that  the  Father  had  given  him  all  things  into  his  hands,  and  that 
he  came  from  God,  and  goeth  to  God ; 

4.  He  riseth  from  supper,  and  layeth  aside  his  garments,  and  having  taken 
a  towel,  girded  himself. 

5.  After  that,  he  putteth  water  into  a  basin,  and  began  to  wash  the  feet  of 
the  disciples,  and  to  wipe  them  with  the  towel  wherewith  he  was  girded. 

6.  He  cometh  therefore  to  Simon  Peter.  .•Knd  Peter  saith  to  him ;  Lord, 
dost  thou  wash  my  feet? 

7.  Jesus  answered,  and  said  to  him  :  What  I  do  thou  knowcst  not  now ;  but 
thou  shalt  know  hereafter. 

8.  Peter  saith  to  him  :  Thou  shalt  never  wash  my  feet.  Jesus  answered  him ; 
HI  wash  thee  not,  thou  shalt  have  no  part  with  me. 

9.  Simon  Peter  saith  to  him :  Lord,  not  only  my  feet,  but  also  my  hands  and 
my  head. 

the    reading-,  Seiirvov  yevonevov ,  the    meaning   can    easily    be;  '"The 
supper  being  ready,"  or  "  the  meal  being  served.'" 

3.  In  spite  of  our  Lord's  great  dignity  as  God,  and  of  Kis  glori- 
fication so  soon  to  be  realized,  He  now  proceeds  to  give  His  disciples 
a  remarkable  example  of  humility  and  fraternal  charity. 

4.  He  riseth  from  supper.  Since  both  for  hygienic  and  legal 
reasons  the  washing  of  the  feet  was  supposed  to  precede  the  meal, 
it  would  seem  that  we  should  understand  the  above  words  as  ex- 
pressing what  was  done  before  they  had  begim  to  eat.  The  feet 
were  supposed  to  be  clean  before  the  guests  reclined  on  their 
couches.  The  traditional  view,  however,  is  that  the  washing  of  the 
feet  took  place  during  the  supper  (St.  Augustine),  which  may  be 
explained  as  follows :  It  is  the  common  opinion  that  the  Paschal 
Supper  on  this  memorable  night  was  followed  by  the  ordinary 
supper  or  evening-  meal,  and  this,  in  turn,  by  the  Eucharistic 
Supper.  Now  the  traditional  view  is  that  the  washing  of  the  feet 
took  place  immediately  after  the  Paschal  Supper,  or  during  the 
ordinary  evening  meal,  and  consequently,  before  the  Eucharistic 
Supper. 

Layeth  aside  his  garments;  i.e.,  the  cloak  or  pallium  which  was 
worn  loosely  around  the  body,  outside  the  tunic.  Servants  did  not 
wear  this  cloak,  and  our  Lord,  about  to  perfonu  the  work  of  a  serv- 
ant, laid  aside  the  garment  which  made  His  dress  unlike  that  worn 
by  servants. 

6-9.  It  is  commonly  held  that  our  Lord  came  to  Peter  first. 
Peter  could  not  understand  such  condescension  on  the  part  of  His 
Master  and  was  about  to  refuse  to  have  his  feet  washed,  when  our 


494  ST.  JOHN  XIII,  10-18 

10.  Jesus  saith  to  him :  He  thai:  is  washed,  needeth  not  but  to  wash  his  feet, 
but  is  clean  wholly.    And  you  are  clean,  but  not  all. 

11.  For  he  knew  who  he  was  that  would  betray  him;  therefore  he  said: 
You  are  not  all  clean. 

12.  Then  after  he  had  washed  their  feet,  and  taken  his  garments,  being  set 
down  again,  he  said  to  them:  Know  you  what  I  have  done  to  you? 

13.  You  call  me  Master,  and  Lord ;  and  you  say  well,  for  so  I  am. 

14.  If  then  I  being  your  Lord  and  Master,  have  washed  your  feet;  you  also 
ought  to  wash  one  another's  feet. 

15.  For  I  have  given  you  an  example,  that  as  I  have  done  to  you,  so  you 
do  also. 

16.  Amen,  amen  I  say  to  you :  The  servant  is  not  greater  than  his  lord ; 
neither  is  the  apostle  greater  than  he  that  sent  him. 

17.  If  you  know  these  things,  you  shall  be  blessed  if  you  do  them. 

18.  I  speak  not  of  you  all :  I  know  whom  I  have  chosen.  But  that  the  scrip- 
ture may  be  fulfilled :  He  that  eateth  bread  with  me,  shall  lift  up  his  heel 
against  me. 

Lord  warned  him  that  if  he  refused  obedience  in  this  matter  he 
should  be  excluded  from  his  Master's  society  for  time  and  eternity. 
It  was  obedience  that  Christ  was  exacting  from  Peter  on  this  oc- 
casion. It  is  the  common  teaching  that  the  washing  of  the  feet 
here  was  not  a  sacrament,  that  it  did  not  confer  grace,  and  that 
Peter  was  already  in  the  state  of  grace  before  his  feet  were  washed. 
If,  however,  Peter  had  obstinately  refused  to  obey,  he  would  have 
fallen  from  his  state  of  grace. 

10.  The  washing  of  the  feet  on  the  present  occasion  very  probably 
symbolized  cleansing  from  venial  sin.  Hence  the  meaning  of  this 
verse  most  likely  is  that  he  who  is  free  from  mortal  sin  needs  only 
the  lesser  cleansing  from  venial  sin  for  a  more  fitting  preparation 
for  the  reception  of  the  Holy  Eucharist.  All  the  Apostles  on  this 
occasion  were  in  the  state  of  grace,  except  Judas.  Therefore  He 
said :  "  And  you  are  clean,  but  not  all." 

12-17.  Our  Lord  had  given  the  disciples  an  example  of  humility 
and  charity  which  they  were  to  imitate.  If  the  humble  offices  He 
had  just  performed  were  not  unworthy  of  Him,  the  Master,  they 
were  surely  not  beneath  the  disciples  of  the  Master. 

18.  Whom  I  have  chosen.  St.  Augustine  and  others  understand 
these  words  to  refer  to  the  election  to  glory,  for  which  Judas  was 
not  predestined;  but  Maldonatus,  a  Lapide,  and  others  more  prob- 
ably see  in  these  words  a  reference  to  the  call  to  the  Apostleship. 
Our  Lord  knew  that  Judas  would  freely  choose  to  be  a  traitor  when 


ST.  JOHN  XIII,  19-25  495 

19.  At  present  I  tell  you,  before  it  come  to  pass :  that  when  it  shall  come  to 
pass,  you  may  believe  that  I  am  he. 

20.  Amen,  amen  I  say  to  you,  he  that  receiveth  whomsoever  I  send,  receiv- 
eth  me;  and  he  that  receiveth  me,  receiveth  him  that  sent  me. 

21.  When  Jesus  had  said  these  things,  he  was  troubled  in  spirit;  and  he  tes- 
tified, and  said :  Amen,  amen  I  say  to  you,  one  of  you  shall  betray  me. 

22.  The  disciples  therefore  looked  one  upon  another,  doubting  of  whom  he 
spoke. 

23.  Now  there  was  leaning  on  Jesus'  bosom  one  of  his  disciples,  whom 
Jesus  loved. 

24.  Simon  Peter  therefore  beckoned  to  him,  and  said  to  him:  Who  is  it  of 
whom  he  speaketh? 

25.  He  therefore,  leaning  on  the  breast  of  Jesus,  saith  to  him :  Lord,  who 
is  it? 


He  called  him  to  be  an  Apostle,  and  yet  He  called  the  unfortunate 
betrayer  who  was  to  fulfill  the  mystical  meaning  of  Psalm  xl.  10. 

19.  The  prediction  of  His  future  betrayal  by  Judas  was  a  proof 
of  our  Lord's  Divinity,  since  it  corroborated  His  claims  to  be  God. 

20.  It  is  difficult  to  see  the  connection  between  this  verse  and 
what  precedes  and  follows  in  the  context.  Some,  like  Corluy,  hold 
that  the  words  of  our  Lord  with  which  this  verse  is  connected  have 
been  omitted  by  the  Evangelist.  Others  say  that,  as  the  Saviour 
had  just  previously  (verses  15-17)  exhorted  the  Apostles  to  take 
part  in  His  humiliations,  so  now,  after  digressing  (verses  18,  19) 
to  speak  of  the  betrayal  of  Judas,  He  announces  that  they  shall 
share  in  His  glory  and  honor.  If  this  present  verse  of  St.  John  be 
inserted  in  the  text  of  St.  Luke  xxii.  29,  as  some  think  it  ought 
to  be,  it  will  find  its  proper  place. 

21.  22.  He  was  troubled.  See  on  xi.  33.  Our  Lord  freely  per- 
mitted His  human  soul  to  be  troubled  over  the  approaching  treachery 
of  Judas.  From  the  accounts  of  the  different  Evangelists  it  seems 
quite  certain  that  our  Lord  several  times  during  the  Last  Supper 
disclosed  the  traitor  more  or  less  distinctly.  As  the  meal  proceeded 
the  disciples  came  clearly  to  understand  that  one  of  their  number 
was  going  to  betray  the  Saviour,  but  who  it  was  they  did  not  know ; 
although  from  verse  26  below,  it  would  seem  that  the  traitor  must 
have  been  finally  disclosed  to  St.  John,  at  least.  See  on  Matthew 
xxvi.  21  ;  Luke  xxii.  19-23. 

23-25.  In  accordance  with  the  Jewish  custom  then  existing  our 
Lord  and  the  disciples  reclined  at  the  Last  Supper.    They  rested  on 


496  ST.  JOHN  XIII,  26-31 

2^.  Jesus  answered:  He  it  is  to  whom  I  shall  reach  bread  dipped.  And 
when  he  had  dipped  the  bread,  he  gave  it  to  Judas  Iscariot,  the  son  of  Simon. 

27.  And  after  the  morsel,  Satan  entered  into  him.  And  Jesus  said  to  him : 
That  which  thou  dost,  do  quickly. 

28.  Now  no  man  at  the  table  knew  to  what  purpose  he  said  this  unto  him. 

29.  For  some  thought,  because  Judas  had  the  purse,  that  Jesus  had  said  to 
him :  Buy  those  things  which  we  have  need  of  for  the  festival  day :  or  that  he 
should  give  something  to  the  poor. 

30.  He  therefore  having  received  the  morsel,  went  out  immediately.  And  it 
was  night. 

31.  When  he  therefore  was  gone  out,  Jesus  said:  Now  is  the  Son  of  man 
glorified,  and  God  is  glorified  in  him. 

their  left  side,  their  feet  being  stretched  obliquely  behind  them.  Our 
Lord  was  immediately  behind  the  beloved  disciple  and  hence  the 
latter  was  able  to  rest  his  head  on  the  Saviour's  bosom  (verse  25). 
The  "  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved  "  has  always  been  identified  with 
St.  John  the  Evangelist. 

26.  From  this  verse  it  seems  beyond  doubt  that  the  traitor  was 
finally  made  known,  at  least,  to  St.  John.  The  "  bread  dipped  "  here 
given  to  Judas  was  not  consecrated  species. 

2'j.  Satan  entered  into  him;  i.e.,  the  devil  got  a  more  complete 
control  over  Judas ;  there  is  no  question  here  of  diabolical  possession, 

29.  Buy  those  things,  etc.  From  this  verse  some  authors  argue 
that  our  Lord  could  not  have  been  celebrating  the  Paschal  Supper 
on  the  regular  day,  the  14th  of  Nisan,  since  on  the  night  of  the 
14th  of  Nisan  it  was  not  lawful  to  buy  or  sell,  and  hence  the  Apostles 
would  not  have  conjectured  that  Judas  was  going  out  to  buy  things 
for  the  feast.  But  it  is  replied  that  buying  and  selling  of  food 
articles  was  not  forbidden  during  the  Pasch  (Exod.  xii.  16).  See 
on  Matthew  xxvi.  17  ff. 

30.  It  is  the  opinion  of  most  of  the  Fathers  that  Judas  did  receive 
Holy  Communion  and  that  he  was  ordained  a  priest  at  the  Last 
Supper.  Dr.  MacRory  thinks  this  the  more  probable  opinion, 
although  there  are  many  grave  authorities  against  it.  See  on  Mat- 
thew xxvi.  21  ;  Luke  xxii.  19-23. 

31.  Now  is  the  Son  of  man  glorified.  The  departure  of  Judas 
marked  the  beginning  of  the  end  of  our  Lord's  life;  hence  soon 
after  this  He  was  to  be  glorified  by  His  Passion,  death,  Resurrec- 
tion, etc.  The  discourse  of  our  Lord  which  is  contained  in  the  rest 
of  this  and  in  the  following  chapter  was  uttered  in  the  Supper 


ST.  JOHN  XIII,  32-38  497 

32.  If  God  be  glorified  in  him,  God  also  will  glorify  him  in  himself;  and 
immediately  will  he  glorify  him. 

33-  Little  children,  yet  a  little  while  1  am  with  you.  You  shall  seek  me;  and 
as  I  said  to  the  Jews:  Whither  I  go  you  cannot  come;  so  I  say  to  you  now. 

34-  A  new  commandment  I  give  unto  you :  That  you  love  one  another,  as  I 
have  loved  you.  that  you  also  love  one  another. 

35.  By  this  shall  all  men  know  that  you  are  my  disciples,  if  you  have  love 
one  for  another. 

36.  Simon  Peter  saith  to  him:  Lord,  whither  goest  thou?  Jesus  answered: 
Whither  I  go,  thou  canst  not  follow  me  now ;  but  thou  shalt  follow  hereafter. 

37-  Peter  saith  to  him :  Why  cannot  I  follow  thee  now  ?  I  will  lay  down 
my  life  for  thee. 

38.  Jesus  answered  him :  Wilt  thou  lay  down  thy  life  for  me?  Amen,  amen 
T  say  to  thee,  the  cock  shall  not  crow,  till  thou  deny  me  thrice. 

Room.  The  Synoptic  Gospels  contain  none  of  these  sublime  dis- 
courses which  we  find  in  St.  John.  The  reason  is  plain :  the  Synop- 
tics were  the  result  and  outcome  of  the  oral  preaching  of  the  Gos- 
pel, which  was  accommodated  to  the  capacity  and  needs  of  the  first 
converts  to  Christianity,  and  which  was,  consequently,  divested,  as 
far  as  possible,  of  doctrines  too  transcendent  to  be  appreciated  by 
the  common  folk ;  St.  John's  Gospel,  on  the  contrary,  is  largely  the 
embodiment  of  those  lofty  discourses  of  our  Saviour,  which  the 
beloved  disciple's  pure  and  fervent  soul  was  best  able  to  grasp,  and 
which  constant  meditation  had  enabled  him  to  treasure  up  unaltered 
in  memory's  folds. 

32.  Immediately;  i.e.,  during  His  Passion. 

33.  Yet  a  little  v^^hile  refers  to  the  short  time  yet  remaining 
before  His  Passion. 

You  shall  seek  me,  etc.  Our  Lord  in  His  visible  form  was  about 
to  disappear  from  earth  and  go  up  on  high  to  His  Father.  Thither 
the  Apostles  could  not  follow  Him  at  once,  although  they  would 
still  be  united  with  Him  spiritually.     See  on  vii.  34. 

34.  A  nev(7  commandment;  i.e.,  a  commandment  of  the  New 
Law,  which  enjoined  a  much  more  perfect  love  of  our  neighbor 
than  was  ever  before  commanded  by  the  Law  (Lev.  xix.  18). 

35.  Tertullian  (Apol.  39)  tells  us  that  the  pagans  used  to  say  of 
the  early  Christians,  "  See  how  these  Christians  love  one  another." 

36.  To  Peter's  question  our  Lord  answers  that  He  is  going  to  the 
Father,  whither  Peter  will  later  follow  Him. 

37,  38.    Peter  misunderstands  the  words  of  Christ  and  protests 


498  ST.  JOHN  XIV,  1,  2 

his  willingness  to  go  anywhere,  even  to  death,  with  his  Master. 
But  our  Lord  now  warns  Peter  of  his  weakness.  If  this  prediction 
of  Peter's  denial  took  place,  as  seems  certain,  in  the  Supper  Room, 
we  must  conclude  that  the  prediction  was  twice  uttered  that  night, 
for  the  prediction  recorded  by  the  other  Evangelists  was  spoken  on 
the  way  to  Gethsemani. 

The  cock  shall  not  crow.  See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  34,  and  on 
Luke  xxii.  34.  St.  Mark  (xiv.  30)  says:  "Before  the  cock  crow 
twice."  But  "  the  cock  crowing  "  always  meant  the  second  crow- 
ing, which  was  towards  morning,  and  it  is  this  second  crowing  that 
Matthew,  Luke,  and  John  speak  of. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

Jesus  Goes  to  Prepare  a  Place  for  His  Apostles 

IN  His  Father's  House,  i-ii. 
The   Power  of  the  Apostles,   the   Efficacy   of 

Their    Prayers,    the    Promise    of    the    Holy 

Ghost,  12-17. 
Jesus   will   not   Leave   His   Disciples   Orphans, 

18-25. 
The  Holy  Ghost   will  Complete  the  Work  of 

Jesus,  26. 
Jesus  Leaves  His  Peace  to  His  Disciples,  27-31. 

1.  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled.    You  believe  in  God,  believe  also  in  me. 

2.  In  my  Father's  house  there  are  many  mansions.  If  not,  I  would  have 
told  you :  because  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you. 

1.  You  believe  in  God,  etc.  The  Greek  for  believe  in  both  in- 
stances here  is  TnaTeOere,  which  may  be  imperative  or  indicative. 
Since  the  Apostles  readily  believed  in  God,  but  had  not  so  firm  a 
faith  in  the  Divinity  of  our  Lord,  it  seems  best  to  follow  the  Vulgate 
reading,  and  make  the  first  believe  (incFTkveTe)  indicative,  and  the 
second  imperative.  Our  Lord  is  trying  to  console  and  fortify  the 
disciples  against  the  humiliations  of  the  Passion  which  were  coming. 

2.  Many  mansions;  i.e.,  many  stations,  or  places  of  rest  and  re- 
freshment. Our  Lord  here  wishes  to  say  that  in  Heaven  there  will 
be  .room  enough  for  the  Apostles  and  all  of  God's  faithful  children. 


ST.  JOHN  XIV,  3-9  499 

3.  And  if  I  shall  go,  and  prepare  a  place  for  you,  I  will  come  again,  and 
will  take  you  to  myself;  that  where  I  am,  you  also  may  be. 

4.  And  whither  I  go  you  know,  and  the  way  you  know. 

5.  Thomas  saith  to  him :  Lord,  we  know  not  whither  thou  goest ;  and  how 
can  we  know  the  way  ? 

6.  Jesus  saith  to  him :  I  am  the  way,  and  the  truth,  and  the  life.  No  man 
comcth  to  the  Father,  but  by  me. 

7.  If  you  had  known  me,  you  would  without  doubt  have  known  my  Father 
also :  and  from  henceforth  you  shall  know  him,  and  you  have  seen  him. 

8.  Philip  saith  to  him :  Lord,  shew  us  the  Father,  and  it  is  enough  for  us. 

9.  Jesus  saith  to  him :  Have  I  been  so  long  a  time  with  you ;  and  have  you 
not  known  me?  Philip,  he  that  seeth  me  seeth  the  Father  also.  How  sayest 
thou.  Shew  us  the  Father? 

That  I  go  to  prepare,  etc.,  —  rather,  "because  (on)  I  go,"  etc. 
This  verse,  then,  should  be  understood  as  follows:  (a)  if  there  were 
not  many  mansions,  etc.,  would  I  have  told  you  that  I  go  to  prepare, 
etc.?  —  or,  (b)  if  there  were  not  many  mansions,  etc.,  I  would  have 
told  you  so,  because  I  go  to  prepare  a  place  for  you. 

3.  I  will  come  again;  at  death  for  each  one  individually,  and  for 
all  at  the  General  Judgment. 

6.  I  am  the  way,  and  the  truth,  etc.  St.  Augustine  and  St. 
Thomas  say  that  our  Lord  as  man  is  the  way;  and  as  God,  He  is 
the  truth  and  the  life.  Others  say  that  our  Lord's  being  the  truth 
and  the  life  explains  how  He  is  the  way  to  the  Father ;  namely.  He 
is  the  way  first,  because  He  is  the  truth,  i.e.,  the  author  of  faith; 
secondly,  because  He  is  the  life,  i.e.,  the  author  of  grace  and  super- 
natural life  in  the  soul. 

7.  In  the  first  part  of  this  verse  Christ  tells  the  Apostles  that  if 
they  had  known  Him  as  they  should  have  done,  they  would  know 
that  He  goes  to  the  Father  and  that  He  is  the  way  to  the  Father, 
because  He  and  the  Father  are  one  (x.  30).  In  the  second  part  of 
the  verse  He  tells  them  that  they  already  know  Him  to  some  extent 
(if  we  take  the  Greek  to  be  present  in  meaning),  or  that  they  shall 
know  Him  as  they  ought  when  the  Holy  Ghost  comes  at  Pentecost 
(St.  Chrysostom). 

9.  In  this  verse  Christ  clearly  affirms  His  substantial  union  with 
the  Father:  to  see  Him  is  substantially  to  see  the  Father,  although 
He  and  the  Father  are  distinct  persons  (verse  6).  Cf.  Heb.  i.  3. 
The  Vulgate  cognovistis  of  this  verse  should  be  cognovisti  (eyvojKas), 
as  addressed  to  Philip. 


Soo  ST.  JOHN  XIV,  10-17 

10.  Do  you  not  believe,  that  I  am  in  the  Father,  and  the  Father  in  nie  ?  The 
words  that  I  speak  to  you,  I  speak  not  of  myself.  But  the  Father  who  abideth 
in  me,  he  doth  the  works. 

11.  Believe  you  not  that  I  am  in  the  Father,  and  the  Father  in  me? 

12.  Otherwise  believe  for  the  very  works'  sake.  Amen,  amen  I  say  to  you, 
he  that  believeth  in  me,  the  works  that  I  do,  he  also  shall  do ;  and  greater  than 
these  shall  he  do. 

13.  Because  I  go  to  the  Father :  and  whatsoever  you  shall  ask  the  Father 
in  my  name,  that  will  I  do :  that  the  Father  may  be  glorified  in  the  Son. 

14.  If  you  shall  ask  me  any  thing  in  my  name,  that  I  will  do. 

15.  If  you  love  me,  keep  my  commandments. 

16.  And  I  will  ask  the  Father,  and  he  shall  give  you  another  Paraclete,  that 
he  may  abide  with  you  for  ever. 

17.  The  spirit  of  truth,  whom  the  world  cannot  receive,  because  it  seeth  him 
not,  nor  knoweth  him :  but  you  shall  know  him ;  because  he  shall  abide  with 
you,  and  shall  be  in  you. 

10,  II.  Here  again  our  Lord  proclaims  His  unity  of  essence  with 
the  Father.  The  creditis  in  the  Vulgate  of  verse  10  ought  to  be 
credis,  according  to  the  Greek  Tricrreuew. 

12.  In  this  verse  Christ  insists  that  His  miracles  are  a  proof  of 
His  Divinity  and  of  the  truth  of  His  doctrine. 

Greater  than  these.  St.  Augustine  says  that  the  evangelizing  of 
the  Gentiles  and  the  conversion  of  the  world  by  the  Apostles  and 
their  successors  are  greater  wonders  than  the  miracles  of  Christ. 

13.  Because  I  go  to  the  Father  belongs  to  the  preceding  verse, 
as  in  the  Vulgate. 

In  my  name ;  i.e.,  in  virtue  of  My  merits  as  Saviour.  This  does 
not  mean  that  things  asked  in  an  improper  manner,  or  things  op- 
posed to  one's  salvation,  will  ever  be  granted. 

16.  In  this  verse  the  Holy  Ghost  is  promised  to  the  Apostles  and 
their  successors  to  abide  with  the  Church  forever. 

Another  Paraclete;  i.e.,  another  Comforter.  The  term  another 
shows  that  the  Holy  Ghost,  like  the  Son,  is  also  a  Divine  Person, 
who  is  sent  in  the  place  of  Christ.  And  the  fact  that  He  is  sent  by 
the  Father  proves  His  procession  from  the  Father.     See  on  xv.  26. 

17.  The  spirit  of  truth;  i.e.,  the  author  and  source  of  truth. 
The  world,  means  sinful,  carnal  men.  "  The  sensual  man  per- 
ceives not  what  is  of  the  Spirit  of  God  "  (i  Cor.  ii.  14). 

You  shall  know  ...  he  shall  abide,  are  in  the  present  tense  in 
Greek.  The  meaning  is  that  the  Apostles  already  know  the  Holy 
Ghost  to  some  extent,  because  He  is  with  them  by  sanctifying  grace. 


ST.  JOHN  XIV,  18-25  501 

18.  I  will  not  leave  you  orphans,  I  will  come  to  you. 

19.  Yet  a  little  while :  and  the  world  seeth  me  no  more.  But  you  see  me  • 
because  I  live,  and  you  shall  live. 

20.  In  that  day  you  shall  know,  that  I  am  in  my  Father,  and  you  in  me  and 
1  m  you. 

21.  He  that  hath  my  commandments,  and  keepeth  them;  he  it  is  that  loveth 
me.  And  he  that  loveth  me,  shall  be  loved  of  my  Father:  and  I  will  love  him 
and  will  manifest  myself  to  him. 

22  Judas  saith  to  him,  not  the  Iscariot :  Lord,  how  is  it,  that  thou  wilt  mani- 
fest thyself  to  us,  and  not  to  the  world? 

2Z  Jesus  answered,  and  said  to  him:  If  any  one  love  me,  he  will  keep  my 
word,  and  my  Father  will  love  him,  and  we  will  come  to  him.  and  will  make 
our  abode  with  him. 

24.  He  that  loveth  me  not,  keepeth  not  my  words.  And  the  word  which  you 
have  heard,  is  not  mine ;  but  the  Father's  who  sent  me. 

25.  These  things  have  I  spoken  to  you,  abiding  with  you. 

18.  I  will  come  to  you.  St.  Augustine,  Maldonatus.  and  others 
think  there  is  question  here  of  our  Lord's  coming  at  the  day  of 
Judgment.  St.  Chrysostom,  St.  Thomas,  and  others  hold  that  the 
reference  is  to  our  Lord's  appearances  after  His  Resurrection.  Still 
others  believe  there  is  here  question  of  Christ's  coming  with  the 
Holy  Ghost  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  after  which  He  will  spiritually 
abide  with  the  Church  forever.    This  last  view  seems  most  probable. 

19.  A  little  while  refers  to  the  short  time  yet  remaining  before 
His  death. 

But  you  see  me;  i.e.,  you  shall  see  Me.  There  is  question  here 
of  spiritual  vision  resulting  from  living  in  the  state  of  grace,  which 
the  Apostles  would  enjoy  even  after  our  Lord's  bodily  presence  had 
disappeared. 

20.  In  that  day;  i.e.,  after  the  day  of  Pentecost  the  disciples 
would  know  and  understand  the  substantial  unity  between  the  Father 
and  the  Son;  and  this  unity,  althougii  perfect,  would  be  resembled 
by  the  intimate,  but  of  course  less  perfect  union,  between  Christ  and 
His  chosen  souls  here  on  earth :  Christ  is  the  vine  and  the  souls  of 
the  just  are  the  branches  (xv.  1-8). 

21-24.  Jesus  here  says  that  keeping  His  commandments  is  the 
test  of  anyone's  love  for  Him,  and  that  if  anvone  keep  His  com- 
mandments he  will  be  loved  by  the  Father,  and  to  him  Christ  will 
manifest  Himself.  Christ  is  hidden  from  the  world,  because  the 
world  does  not  love  Him. 

The  word  ...  is  not  mine,  etc.    Our  Lord  invokes  the  authority 


502  ST.  JOHN  XIV,  26-31 

26.  But  the  Paraclete,  the  Holy  Ghost,  whom  the  Father  will  send  in  my 
name,  he  will  teach  you  all  things,  and  bring  all  things  to  your  mind,  whatso- 
ever I  shall  have  said  to  you. 

27.  Peace  I  leave  with  you,  my  peace  I  give  unto  you :  not  as  the  world 
giveth,  do  I  give  unto  you.  Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled,  nor  let  it  be 
afraid. 

28.  You  have  heard  that  I  said  to  you :  I  go  away,  and  I  come  unto  you.  If 
you  loved  me,  you  would  indeed  be  glad,  because  I  go  to  the  Father :  for  the 
Father  is  greater  than  I. 

29.  And  now  I  have  told  you  before  it  come  to  pass :  that  when  it  shall 
come  to  pass,  you  may  believe. 

30.  I  will  not  now  speak  many  things  with  you.  For  the  prince  of  this 
world  cometh,  and  in  me  he  hath  not  any  thing. 

31.  But  that  the  world  may  know,  that  I  love  the  Father:  and  as  the  Father 
hath  given  me  commandment,  so  do  I :  Arise,  let  us  go  hence. 

of  His  Father,  not  because  it  is  greater  than  His  own,  but  because 
it  appeals  more  to  the  disciples  whose  faith  in  His  own  Divinity  is 
yet  imperfect. 

26.  In  my  name;  i.e.,  in  My  place,  or  at  My  request.  The  in- 
fallible teaching  authority  of  the  Apostles  and  their  successors  in 
the  Church  is  clearly  assured  in  this  verse. 

2^.  Peace  I  leave  with  you,  etc.  This  was  a  form  of  parting 
salutation  customary  among  the  Jews.  Our  Lord  was  about  to  leave 
the  Supper  Room. 

28.  The  Father  is  greater  than  I.  The  Arians  made  much  of 
this  text  to  prove  that  the  Son  was  inferior  to  the  Father.  The 
meaning  is  that  the  Father  is  greater  than  the  Son  as  man.  Some 
of  the  greatest  of  the  Fathers  have  admitted  that  the  Son,  even  as 
God,  can,  not  altogether  improperly,  be  said  to  be  less  than  the 
Father,  not  because  there  is  any  real  inferiority,  but  because  the 
title  of  Son  implies  a  sort  of  subordination  (cf.  Le  Camus,  Life  of 
Christ,  vol.  iii.  p.  240).  Certainly  our  Lord  here  did  not  wish  to 
contradict  what  He  had  said  in  x.  30. 

30.  In  me  he  hath  not  any  thing;  i.e.,  he  (Satan)  has  no  power 
over  Me,  since  sin  has  no  part  in  Me. 

31.  To  prove  to  the  world  His  love  for  His  Father  and  for  the 
Father's  commands  our  Lord  now  rises  from  the  Supper  table 
ready  to  meet  His  enemies  and  to  undergo  His  voluntary  sacrifice. 
It  is  disputed  whether  the  discourses  of  chapters  xv  and  xvi,  and 
the  prayer  of  chapter  xvii,  were  uttered  while  still  in  the  Supper 
Room,  or  in  some  quiet  place  after  the  departure. 


ST.  JOHN  XV,  1-5  503 


CHAPTER  XV 

The  Allegory  of  the  Vine  and  the  Branches, 

i-ii. 
Fraternal  Charity,  12-17. 
The  World's  Hatred  of  the  Disciples,  18-27. 

1.  I  am  the  true  vine;  and  my  Father  is  the  husbandman. 

2.  Every  branch  in  me,  that  beareth  not  fruit,  he  will  take  away :  and  every 
one  that  beareth  fruit,  he  will  purge  it,  that  it  may  bring  forth  more  fruit. 

3.  Now  you  are  clean  by  reason  of  the  word,  which  I  have  spoken  to  you. 

4.  Abide  in  me,  and  I  in  you.  As  the  branch  cannot  bear  fruit  of  itself, 
unless  it  abide  in  the  vine,  so  neither  can  you,  unless  you  abide  in  me. 

5.  I  am  the  vine ;  you  the  branches :  he  that  abideth  in  me,  and  I  in  him, 
the  same  beareth  much  fruit :  for  without  me  you  can  do  nothing. 

1 .  I  am  the  true  vine.  The  relation  of  Christ  to  His  disciples  and 
true  followers  is  similar  to  that  of  the  vine  to  its  branches  (verse  5). 
As  the  branches  draw  their  life  and  nourishment  from  the  vine  or 
trunk  of  the  tree,  so  must  the  Apostles  and  all  just  souls,  by  faith 
in  and  love  for  Christ,  draw  their  spiritual  life  and  nourishment 
from  Him. 

And  my  Father  is  the  husbandman.  This  means  that  Almighty 
God  does  for  the  faithful  soul  what  the  husbandman  does  for  the 
branches  of  the  vine  by  pruning.  The  words  do  not  imply,  as  the 
Arians  would  have  them  do,  that  Christ  was  not  of  the  same  nature  as 
the  Father.  Our  Lord's  words  are  plainly  figurative ;  but  the  figure 
would  be  spoiled  were  He  to  call  Himself  both  vine  and  husband- 
man, albeit  as  God  He  is  as  much  the  husbandman  as  the  Father. 

2.  There  are  unfruitful  branches  of  Christ  the  vine,  dead  mem- 
bers of  His  Church ;  but  these  Almighty  God  will  cut  away,  per- 
haps now  in  this  world,  and  surely  in  the  world  to  come.  The  good 
branches  He  prunes  by  trials  and  sufferings,  in  order  that  they  may 
bear  more  abundant  fruit. 

3.  Now  you  are  clean,  etc.  The  meaning  is  that  the  Apostles 
had  already  been  pruned  and  purified  in  faith  and  love  by  the  doc- 
trine which  they  had  received  from  Christ,  and  especially  by  the 
discourse  which  He  had  just  given  them. 

5.  Without  me  you  can  do  nothing;  i.e.,  nothing  supernatural, 


504  ST.  JOHN  XV,  6-16 

6.  If  any  one  abide  not  in  me,  he  shall  be  cast  forth  as  a  branch,  ^nd  shall 
wither,  and  they  shall  gather  him  up,  and  cast  him  into  the  fire,  and  he 
burneth. 

7.  If  you  abide  in  me,  and  my  words  abide  in  you,  you  shall  ask  whatever 
you  will,  and  it  shall  be  done  unto  you. 

8.  In  this  is  my  Father  glorified ;  that  you  bring  forth  very  much  fruit,  and 
become  my  disciples. 

9.  As  the  Father  hath  loved  me,  I  also  have  loved  you.    Abide  in  my  love. 

10.  If  you  keep  my  commandments,  you  shall  abide  in  my  love;  as  I  also 
have  kept  my  Father's  commandments,  and  do  abide  in  his  love. 

11.  These  things  I  have  spoken  to  you,  that  my  joy  may  be  in  you,  and  your 
joy  may  be  filled. 

12.  This  is  my  commandment,  that  you  love  one  another,  as  I  have  loved 
you. 

13.  Greater  love  than  this  no  man  hath,  that  a  man  lay  down  his  life  for  his 
friends. 

14.  You  are  my  friends,  if  you  do  the  things  that  I  command  you. 

15.  I  will  not  now  call  you  servants :  for  the  servant  knoweth  not  what  his 
lord  doth.  But  I  have  called  you  friends :  because  all  things  whatsoever  I  have 
heard  of  my  Father,  I  have  made  known  to  you, 

16.  You  have  not  chosen  me:  but  I  have  chosen  you;  and  have  appointed 
you,  that  you  should  go,  and  should  bring  forth  fruit;  and  your  fruit  should 
remain ;  that  whatsoever  you  shall  ask  of  the  Father  in  my  name,  he  may 
give  it  you. 

or  worthy  of  life  eternal.  The  words  prove  that  no  supernatural 
work  is  possible  without  the  aid  of  grace. 

6.  The  tenses  of  this  verse,  except  the  first,  are  present  or  aorist 
in  the  Greek;  and  the  aorist  has  a  present  meaning.  The  eternal 
punishment  of  those  who  die  separated  from  Christ  is  clearly  indi- 
cated in  this  verse. 

13.  Our  Lord  was  about  to  lay  down  His  life  for  His  Apostles 
and  for  all  mankind,  —  than  which  a  greater  proof  of  love  could 
not  be  given. 

15.  Jesus  had  previously  (xii.  26;  xiii.  16)  referred  to  His  dis- 
ciples as  servants ;  but  now,  after  all  the  tender  communications  He 
had  just  made  to  them,  He  will  no  longer  regard  them  as  servants, 
but  as  friends. 

All  things  whatsoever  I  have  heard,  etc. ;  i.e.,  all  things  neces- 
sary for  the  salvation  of  mankind. 

16.  You  have  not  chosen  me,  etc.  Here  our  Lord  tells  the 
Apostles  that  their  call  was  gratuitous  and  unmerited  on  their  part, 
and  that,  therefore,  they  should  show  their  gratitude  by  laboring  to 
bring  forth  abundant  fruits  in  His  service. 


ST.  JOHN  XV,  17-26  505 

17.  These  things  I  command  you,  that  you  love  one  another. 

18.  If  the  world  hate  you,  know  ye,  that  it  hath  hated  me  before  you. 

19.  If  you  had  been  of  the  world,  the  world  would  love  its  own  :  but  because 
you  are  not  of  the  world,  but  I  have  chosen  you  out  of  the  world,  therefore 
the  world  hateth  you. 

20.  Remember  my  word  that  I  said  to  you :  The  servant  is  not  greater  than 
his  master.  If  they  have  persecuted  me,  they  will  also  persecute  you:  if  they 
have  kept  my  word,  they  will  keep  yours  also. 

21.  But  all  these  things  they  will  do  to  you  for  my  name's  sake:  because 
they  know  not  him  that  sent  me. 

22.  If  I  had  not  come,  and  spoken  to  them,  they  would  not  have  sin;  but 
now  they  have  no  excuse  for  their  sin. 

23.  He  that  hateth  me,  hateth  my  Father  also. 

24.  If  I  had  not  done  among  them  the  works  that  no  other  man  hath  done, 
they  would  not  have  sin ;  but  now  they  have  both  seen  and  hated  both  me  and 
my  Father. 

25.  But  that  the  word  may  be  fulfilled  which  is  written  in  their  law :  They 
hated  me  without  cause. 

26.  But  when  the  Paraclete  cometh,  whom  I  will  send  j'ou  from  the  Father,  the 
Spirit  of  truth,  who  proceedeth  from  the  Father,  he  shall  give  testimony  of  me. 

That  whatsoever  you  shall  ask,  etc.  Maldonatus  and  others 
hold  that  the  meaning  of  that  (Ipa)  here  expresses  consequence,  and 
not  purpose;  hence  the  sense  is:  If  your  labors  for  Me  are  fruitful 
and  attain  the  purpose  for  which  I  have  chosen  you,  the  result  will 
be  that  whatsoever  you  ask  of  the  Father  in  My  name,  He  will  give 
it  you. 

17.  These  things  may  mean  that  the  observance  of  fraternal 
charity  is  the  fulfillment  of  the  whole  law ;  or  they  may  refer  to 
the  gratuitousness  of  the  Apostles'  call  and  His  love  for  them,  as 
a  consequence  of  which  they  should  love  one  another. 

20.  My  word  means  the  doctrine  of  Christ ;  and  yours  is  this 
same  doctrine  as  preached  by  the  Apostles. 

22-24.  They  would  not  have  sin;  i.e.,  not  the  sin  of  incredulity, 
although  they  might  have  other  sins.  Christ  had  given  the  Jews 
so  many  proofs  of  His  Divinity  and  divine  mission  that  their  failure 
to  believe  in  Him  was  inexcusable,  and  by  rejecting  Him  they  re- 
jected His  Father  who  sent  Him. 

25.  The  hatred  of  the  world  for  Christ  should  have  been  an 
additional  proof  to  the  Jews  that  He  was  the  Messiah,  because  the 
Scriptures  (Ps.  xxxiv.  19)  foretold  that  the  world  would  hate  the 
Christ. 

26.  This  verse  is  cited  by  the  Greeks  to  show  that  the  Holy  Ghost 


So6  ST.  JOHN  XV,  27;  XVI,   1 

z-j.  And  you  shall  give  testimony,  because  you  are  with  me  from  the  be- 
ginning. 

proceeds  from  the  Father  only ;  but  it  is  clear  from  this  very  verse 
that  He  proceeds  also  from  the  Son.  For  in  xiv.  i6  it  was  said  that 
the  Father  would  send  the  Holy  Spirit,  and  here  our  Lord  says  that 
He  will  send  the  Paraclete,  thereby  showing  that  the  sending  of 
the  Holy  Ghost,  and  consequently  His  procession,  is  as  much  from 
the  Son  as  from  the  Father.  St.  Thomas  holds  that  the  words, 
"  who  proceedeth  from  the  Father,"  refer  to  the  eternal  procession 
of  the  Holy  Ghost,  while  the  previous  words,  "  whom  I  will  send," 
regard  the  temporal  mission  of  the  Paraclete ;  but  this  only  em- 
phasizes the  doctrine  of  the  procession  from  the  Son,  because  the 
temporal  mission  of  the  Holy  Spirit  presupposes  His  eternal  pro- 
cession from  the  same  Divine  Person  from  whom  He  derives  His 
temporal  mission  (Sumnia  TheoL,  i^,  qu.  xliii,  a.  i  and  8). 

27.    This  verse  means  that  the  Apostles,  when  filled  with  the  Holy 
Ghost,  would  also  be  witnesses  of  the  Divinity  of  Christ. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

Jesus  Warns  the  Apostles  of  the  Persecutions 

THAT  Await  Them,  1-6. 
He   Comforts  Them    Regarding   His   Departure, 

Points  to  the  Coming  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  etc. 

7-15- 
He  Promises  Them  that  After  a  Brief  Absence 

He  will  Return,  and  Their  Sorrow  will  be 

Turned  to  Joy,  16-24. 
He  has  been  Speaking  Obscurely  to  Them,  but 

Presently  He  will  Speak  to  Them  Plainly, 

25-33- 

I.  These  things  have  I  spoken  to  you,  that  you  may  not  be  scandalized. 

I.  These  things  most  probably  refer  both  to  the  coming  of  the 
Holy  Ghost  and  the  persecutions  awaiting  the  Apostles. 

May  not  be  scandalized ;  i.e.,  may  not  be  shaken  or  weakened  in 
faith,  on  account  of  the  coming  persecutions. 


ST.  JOHN  XVI,  2-6  507 

2.  They  will  put  you  out  of  the  synagogues  :  yea,  the  hour  cometh,  that  who- 
soever killeth  you,  will  think  that  he  doth  a  service  to  God. 

3.  And  these  things  will  they  do  to  you ;  because  they  have  not  known  the 
Father,  nor  me. 

4.  But  these  things  I  have  told  you,  that  when  the  hour  shall  come,  you  may 
remember  that  I  told  you  of  them. 

5.  But  I  told  you  not  these  things  from  the  beginning,  because  I  was  with 
you.  And  now  I  go  to  him  that  sent  me,  and  none  of  you  asketh  me :  Whither 
goest  thou? 

6.  But  because  I  have  spoken  these  things  to  you,  sorrow  hath  filled  your 
heart. 

2.  Out  of  the  synagogues ;  i.e.,  excommunicate  them.  Cf .  Acts 
xxiii.  12.    Synagogues.    See  on  Matthew  iv.  23. 

A  service  to  God.  In  their  ignorance  the  persecutors  of  the 
Apostles  would  think  they  were  honoring  God ;  but  their  ignorance 
was  inexcusable,  as  Christ  had  given  ample  proof  of  His  own 
Divinity  and  of  His  doctrine,  for  preaching  which  the  Apostles  were 
to  be  persecuted. 

4.  The  knowledge  which  Christ  had  of  the  future  persecutions 
of  His  disciples  was  a  proof  of  His  Divinity,  since  it  is  here  im- 
plied that  this  foreknowledge  is  a  confirmation  of  His  claims. 

It  is  clear  from  the  Greek  that  there  should  be  no  comma  in  this 
verse  after  eorum  of  the  Vulgate. 

5.  I  told  you  not  these  things,  etc.  It  is  objected  here  that  our 
Lord  (Matthew  x.  17,  18)  had  already  foretold  the  persecutions 
of  the  Apostles.  Answer:  It  is  probable  that  St.  Matthew  x.  17,  18 
is  narrated  out  of  order,  and  that,  consequently,  the  Apostles' 
persecutions  had  never  before  now  been  predicted.  At  any  rate 
they  had  never  before  been  predicted  with  such  precision  and 
detail. 

And  none  of  you  asketh  me,  etc.  Our  Lord  slightly  paused  be- 
fore speaking  these  words  to  see  if,  in  view  of  His  just  having  said 
that  He  was  about  to  go  to  the  Father,  anyone  would  ask  Him 
where  He  was  going.  On  previous  occasions  when  He  had  spoken 
thus  Peter  and  Thomas  (xiii.  36;  xiv.  5),  had  asked  Him  where 
He  was  going;  but  now  no  one  put  any  question  to  Him. 

6.  These  things.  See  on  verse  i.  The  Apostles  were  filled  with 
sorrow  over  the  departure  of  our  Lord,  even  though  the  Holy 
Ghost  was  to  come  in  His  place,  as  well  as  over  the  prediction  of 
the  persecutions  which  awaited  them. 


5o8  ST.  JOHN  XVI,  7-13 

7.  But  I  tell  you  the  truth :  it  is  expedient  to  you  that  I  go :  for  if  I  go  not, 
the  Paraclete  will  not  come  to  you;  but  if  I  go,  I  will  send  him  to  you. 

8.  And  when  he  is  come,  he  will  convince  the  world  of  sin,  and  of  justice, 
and  of  judgment. 

9.  Of  sin :  because  they  believed  not  in  me. 

ID.  And  of  justice:  because  I  go  to  the  Father;  and  you  shall  see  me  no 
longer. 

11.  And  of  judgment;  because  the  prince  of  this  world  is  already  judged. 

12.  I  have  yet  many  things  to  say  to  you :  but  you  cannot  bear  them  now. 

13.  Biit  when  he,  the  Spirit  of  truth,  is  come,  he  will  teach  you  all  truth. 
For  he  shall  not  speak  of  himself;  but  what  things  soever  he  shall  hear,  he 
shall  speak ;  and  the  things  that  are  to  come,  he  shall  shew  you. 

7.  It  is  expedient  to  you,  etc. ;  i.e.,  it  was  altogether  fitting,  and 
even  necessary,  that  our  Lord's  visible  mission  on  earth  should  draw 
to  a  close,  so  that  the  invisible  mission  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  according 
to  the  dispensation  of  divine  Providence,  might  begin.  It  was  the 
Holy  Ghost  who  was  to  inspire  and  fortify  the  Apostles  and  the 
Church,  and  thus  carry  on  and  perfect  the  work  which  Christ  had 
inaugurated. 

8-1 1.  The  Holy  Ghost,  at  His  coming,  was  to  prove  the  world 
to  be  guilty  of  sin,  i.e.,  of  the  sin  of  unbelief  in  Christ ;  He  was  to 
convince  the  world  of  justice,  i.e.,  of  the  righteousness  of  Christ, 
whom  the  wicked  had  accused  of  sin  and  blasphemy  (ix.  24;  x.  33)  ; 
and  finally  He  was  to  convince  the  world  of  judgment,  i.e.,  of  its 
own  condemnation  which  was  effected  by  the  overthrow  of  the 
devil  and  his  kingdom  through  the  merits  of  the  death  of  Christ. 
All  these  things  the  Holy  Ghost,  through  the  Church  of  Christ, 
has  made  sufficiently  manifest  to  all  who  do  not  deliberately  close 
their  hearts  to  the  promptings  of  grace,  and  their  eyes  to  patent 
facts. 

12.  Many  things  most  likely  refer  to  the  nature  of  His  earthly 
kingdom,  the  Church,  to  many  doctrines  and  mysteries  later  to  be 
unfolded  by  His  Church,  to  the  treatment  of  the  Gentiles  and  the 
abrogation  of  the  Jewish  Law. 

13.  He  will  teach  you  all  truth,  —  more  literally,  "  He  will  guide 
(oS-nynaei.)  you  into  all  truth."  All  the  doctrines  and  mysteries 
which  they  could  not  now  bear,  but  which  were  to  constitute  the 
deposit  of  faith  in  the  Church,  the  Holy  Ghost,  at  His  coming, 
would  make  known  to  the  Apostles.  This  was  not  all  to  take  place 
on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  but  gradually  during  the  lifetime  of  the 


ST.  JOHN  XVI,  14,  15  509 

14.  He  shall  glorify  me;  because  he  shall  receive  of  mine,  and  shall  shew  it 
to  you. 

15.  All  things  whatsoever  the  Father  hath,  are  mine.  Therefore  I  said,  that 
he  shall  receive  of  mine,  and  shew  it  to  you. 

Apostles  the  sum  total  of  God's  revelation  to  the  world  was  to  be 
made  known  to  them,  and  was  afterwards,  according  to  need,  to 
be  unfolded  and  developed  in  the  Church. 

He  shall  not  speak  of  himself.  The  meaning  is  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  would  not  make  known  anything  of  Himself,  as  distinct  from 
what  He  had  received  from  all  eternity  in  His  eternal  procession 
from  the  Father  and  the  Son.  Being  infinite  a  Divine  Person  cannot 
receive  anything,  or  know  anything  otherwise  than  through  His 
procession.  The  case  was  different  with  our  Lord,  because  He  had 
not  only  a  divine,  but  also  a  human  nature. 

The  things  that  are  to  come,  etc.  These  words  show  that  the 
Apostles  were  to  be  endowed  with  the  gift  of  prophecy.  Cf.  Acts 
XX.  29;  Apoc.  i.  19;  Jude  17,  18;  2  Peter  ii. 

14.  He  shall  receive  of  mine  means  that  the  Holy  Ghost  shares 
the  knowledge  of  the  Son,  and  consequently  proceeds  from  the  Son, 
as  is  clear  from  verse  13.  See  on  xv.  26.  The  Father  first  has  the 
truth  in  Himself;  but  the  Son,  who  is  the  thought  of  the  Father, 
has  it  likewise  and  reflects  it  whole  and  entire;  while  the  Spirit, 
who  is  the  love  of  the  Father  and  of  the  Son,  shares  also  in  this 
truth,  which  He  has  eternally  from  the  Father  and  from  the  Son 
( Le  Camus ) . 

By  inserting  Trarpos  after  tov  efiov  here,  the  schismatical  Greeks 
endeavor  to  prove  that  the  Holy  Ghost  proceeds  only  from  the 
Father.  Thus  they  would  make  the  passage  read,  tov  e/xoO  7rarp6j, 
meaning  that  the  Holy  Ghost  should  receive  from  the  Father. 
Against  this  the  following  are  to  be  noted:  (a)  the  context  here 
shows  that  tov  e/xoO  refers  not  to  the  Father,  but  to  the  Son  only 
(verse  15)  ;  (b)  it  is  contrary  to  the  rules  of  Greek  syntax  that  the 
possessive  pronoun  tov  tfjLov  should  refer  to  a  word  not  expressed ; 
(c)  all  the  Greek  and  Latin  Fathers  understand  rov  e/xoO  as  referring 
to  what  is  in  the  Son,  and  not  to  what  is  in  the  Father. 

15.  Are  mine.  The  Greek  plural  of  these  words  kfio.  kcTiv,  clearly 
proves  that  mine  of  this  and  the  preceding  verse  refers  to  what  is 
in  the  Son.     The  Son  has  all  that  the  Father  has,  except  the  rela- 


510  ST.  JOHN  XVI,  16-24 

1 6.  A  little  while,  and  now  j'ou  shall  not  see  me;  and  again  a  little  while, 
and  you  shall  see  me :  because  I  go  to  the  Father. 

17.  Then  some  of  his  disciples  said  one  to  another :  What  is  this  that  he 
saith  to  us :  A  little  while,  and  you  shall  not  see  me ;  and  again  a  little  while, 
and  you  shall  see  me,  and,  because  I  go  to  the  Father? 

18.  They  said  therefore :  What  is  this  that  he  saith,  A  little  while?  we  know 
not  what  he  speaketh. 

19.  And  Jesus  knew  that  they  had  a  mind  to  ask  him ;  and  he  said  to  them : 
Of  this  do  you  inquire  among  yourselves,  because  I  said :  A  little  while,  and 
you  shall  not  see  me;  and  again  a  little  while,  and  you  shall  see  me? 

20.  Amen,  amen  I  say  to  you,  that  you  shall  lament  and  weep,  but  the  world 
shall  rejoice;  and  you  shall  be  made  sorrowful,  but  your  sorrow  shall  be 
turned  into  joy. 

21.  A  woman,  when  she  is  in  labour,  hath  sorrow,  because  her  hour  is  come; 
but  when  she  hath  brought  forth  the  child,  she  remembereth  no  more  the  an- 
guish, for  joy  that  a  man  is  born  into  the  world. 

22.  So  also  you  now  indeed  have  sorrow ;  but  I  will  see  you  again,  and  your 
heart  shall  rejoice;  and  your  joy  no  man  shall  take  from  you. 

23.  And  in  that  day  you  shall  not  ask  me  any  thing.  Amen,  amen  I  say  to 
you :  if  you  ask  the  Father  any  thing  in  my  name,  he  will  give  it  you. 

24.  Hitherto  you  have  not  asked  any  thing  in  my  name.  Ask,  and  you  shall 
receive ;  that  your  joy  may  be  full. 

tion  of  paternity,  of  course ;  and  hence  both  Father  and  Son  have 
spiratio  activa.  Therefore  the  Holy  Ghost  proceeds  from  both  the 
Father  and  the  Son. 

16.  A  little  while  .  .  .  and  again  a  little  while,  etc.  More  prob- 
ably the  first  "  little  while  "  here  refers  to  the  time  until  the  As- 
cension ;  and  the  second  "  little  while,"  to  the  period  between  the 
Ascension  and  the  coming  of  Christ  at  death,  for  each  one  in  par- 
ticular, and  at  the  General  Judgment  for  the  race.  After  His  As- 
cension our  Lord  would  not  again  be  visibly  present  on  earth,  at 
least  to  the  world  in  general,  until  the  General  Judgment. 

The  best  Greek  texts  omit  here  the  words,  "  because  I  go  to  the 
Father." 

20.  Your  sorrow  shall  be  turned,  etc.  At  death,  as  well  as  at 
the  end  of  the  world,  the  sorrows  of  the  just  are  turned  into  eternal 

joy. 

22.  I  will  see  you  again,  etc. ;  i.e.,  at  death  and  at  the  General 
Judgment. 

23.  In  that  day;  i.e.,  when  they  should  be  received  into  everlast- 
ing joy  in  Heaven. 

A  new  verse  should  begin  at  the  words  "  Amen,  amen,"  of  this 


ST.  JOHN  XVI,  25-31  511 

25.  These  things  I  have  spoken  to  you  in  proverbs.  The  hour  cometh,  when 
I  will  no  more  speak  to  you  in  proverbs,  but  will  shew  you  plainly  of  the 
Father. 

26.  In  that  day  you  shall  ask  in  my  name ;  and  I  say  not  to  you,  that  I  will 
ask  the  Father  for  you : 

27.  For  the  Father  himself  loveth  you,  because  you  have  loved  me,  and  have 
believed  that  I  came  out  from  God. 

28.  I  came  forth  from  the  Father,  and  am  come  into  the  world :  again  I 
leave  the  world,  and  I  go  to  the  Father. 

29.  His  disciples  say  to  him  :  Behold,  now  thou  speakest  plainly,  and  speak- 
est  no  proverb. 

30.  Now  we  know  that  thou  knowest  all  things,  and  thou  needest  not  that 
any  man  should  ask  thee.  By  this  we  believe  that  thou  earnest  forth  from 
God. 

31.  Jesus  answered  them:  Do  you  now  believe? 

verse;  our  Lord  begins  to  speak  to  the  Apostles  as  still  pilgrims  in 
this  world,  and  He  tells  them  that  anything  they  ask  in  His  name 
will  be  granted  to  them ;  the  usual  conditions  for  good  prayer  are 
here  presupposed,  of  course. 

25.  These  things  refer  to  what  He  had  been  telling  the  Apostles 
regarding  the  coming  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  His  death,  the  little  while, 
etc.  All  these  things  our  Lord  had  spoken  in  "  proverbs,"  i.e.,  in 
an  obscure  manner,  but  now  He  was  going  to  speak  more  plainly 
to  them. 

The  hour  cometh,  etc.  This  refers  in  particular  to  the  time  after 
the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost  at  Pentecost,  when  all  things  would 
be  made  clear  to  the  Apostles. 

26,  27.  I  say  not  to  you,  etc.  Our  Lord  wishes  to  say  that,  so 
great  is  the  Father's  solicitude  for  them,  it  will  not  be  necessary  for 
Him  to  intercede  in  their  behalf.  We  know,  of  course,  that  Christ 
is  always  making  intercession  for  us  (Heb.  vii.  25;  ix.  24).  Our 
Lord  merely  wanted  to  show  how  great  was  His  Father's  care  for 
His  faithful  followers. 

28.  This  verse  sums  up  the  whole  Christian  dispensation.  Christ 
"  came  forth  from  the  Father,"  and  therefore  He  is  God ;  He  came 
into  the  world,  was  made  man,  in  order  to  suflfer,  and  to  redeem 
mankind ;  He  "  leaves  the  world,"  taking  with  Him  the  human  na- 
ture He  had  here  put  on  for  our  sakes  ;  and  He  "  goes  to  the  Father," 
bringing  with  Him  His  conquest  of  human  souls,  which  later  He 
will  glorify  with  His  Father  in  Heaven. 

30.  Novvr  we  know  that  thou  knowest,  etc.    The  disciples  now 


512  ST.  JOHN  XVI,  32,  33;  XVII,  1 

32.  Behold,  the  hour  cometh,  and  it  is  now  come,  that  you  shall  be  scattered 
every  man  to  his  own,  and  shall  leave  me  alone ;  and  yet  I  am  not  alone,  be- 
cause the  Father  is  with  me. 

S3.  These  things  I  have  spoken  to  you,  that  in  me  you  may  have  peace.  In 
the  world  you  shall  have  distress :  but  have  confidence,  I  have  overcome  the 
world. 

see, that  He  has  read  their  thoughts  (verse  19),  and  they  are  satis- 
fied that  He  is  the  Son  of  God. 

32.  I  am  not  alone,  etc.  Our  Lord's  support  during  His  bitter 
Passion  was  the  consciousness  of  His  own  Divinity  and  oneness  with 
the  Father.  Similarly  our  support  in  the  trials  of  life  is  our  con- 
sciousness of  union  with  Christ  through  sanctifying  grace. 

33.  I  have  overcome  the  world;  i.e.,  prospectively,  by  anticipa- 
tion, through  His  coming  Passion,  death,  and  Resurrection.  As 
Christ  overcame  the  world  through  His  Divinity  and  union  with  the 
Father,  so  we  in  turn  can  overcome  the  world  through  union  with 
Him  and  the  grace  He  gives  us. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

Our  Lord  as  Man  Prays  to  the  Father  for  Him- 
self, 1-5. 
He  Prays  for  the  Apostles,  6-19. 
He  Prays  for  the  Whole  Church,  20-26. 

I.  These  things  Jesus  spoke,  and  lifting  up  his  eyes  to  heaven,  he  said : 
Father,  the  hour  is  come,  glorify  thy  Son,  that  thy  Son  may  glorify  thee. 

I.  These  things  refer  to  the  discourses  Christ  had  just  finished 
delivering  to  His  Apostles.  The  Saviour  is  about  to  leave  the 
Supper  Room,  or,  at  any  rate,  to  enter  upon  the  way  of  His  Pas- 
sion, and  He  turns  from  instructing  His  Apostles  to  pray  to  His 
Eternal  Father. 

The  hour  is  come,  glorify  thy  Son,  etc.  The  time  of  Christ's 
Passion  was  upon  Him,  and  He  asks  the  Eternal  Father  to  sustain 
His  humanity  throughout  the  time  of  trial,  so  that  He  may  emerge 
from  it  all  glorious  and  triumphant,  and  thus  give  glory  to  the 
Father  through  the  souls  that  will  be  saved  as  a  result  of  His  tri- 
umph (verse  2). 


ST.  JOHN  XVII,  2-5  513 

J.  As  thou  hast  given  him  power  over  all  flesh,  that  he  may  give  eternal  life 
to  all  whom  thou  hast  given  him. 

3.  Now  this  is  eternal  life:  That  they  may  know  thee,  the  only  true  God, 
and  Jesus  Christ,  whom  thou  hast  sent. 

4.  I  have  glorified  thee  on  the  earth ;  I  have  finished  the  work  which  thou 
gavest  me  to  do. 

5.  And  now  glorify  thou  me,  O  Father,  with  thyself,  with  the  glory  which  I 
had,  before  the  world  was,  with  thee. 

2.  All  whom  thou  hast  given  him;  i.e.,  all  the  Elect.  Christ  has 
power  over  all  mankind,  but  He  gives  eternal  life  only  to  those  who 
correspond  with  His  graces.  In  the  original  and  in  the  Vulgate 
the  neuter  is  used  for  "  all  whom,"  but  the  meaning  is  clearly  the 
same. 

3.  Now  this  is  eternal  life,  etc. ;  i.e.,  this  is  the  cause,  the  means, 
the  pledge  of  eternal  life.  All  theologians  agree  that  no  one  can 
be  saved  without  a  knowledge  of  God,  as  a  rewarder  of  the  good 
and  a  punisher  of  the  wicked.  More  probably  also,  according  to 
St.  Thomas,  a  knowledge  of  our  Lord,  as  Redeemer,  and  of  the 
Blessed  Trinity  is  necessary  for  salvation,  necessitate  medii.  St. 
Augustine,  St.  Ambrose,  and  many  of  the  Fathers  have  held  that 
the  words  of  our  Lord  in  this  verse  should  be  read  thus :  "  Eternal 
life  consists  in  acknowledging  thee  and  Jesus  Christ,  whom  thou 
hast  sent,  as  the  only  true  God."  But  even  if  we  retain  the  usual 
wording  of  the  Vulgate  and  our  English  version,  it  by  no  means 
follows,  as  the  Arians  would  have  us  believe,  that  the  Father  is 
called  the  only  true  God  to  the  exclusion  of  Jesus  Christ.  It  is 
clear  from  the  present  verse  that,  for  eternal  life,  the  knowing  of 
Jesus  Christ  is  quite  as  essential  as  the  knowing  of  the  Father. 

The  Father,  however,  is  rightly  styled  the  only  true  God  for  the 
following  reasons:  (a)  as  distinguished  from  the  false  divinities 
of  paganism;  (b)  as  being  the  source  and  fountain  of  the  Divinity, 
the  origin  and  principle  from  which  the  other  two  Divine  Persons 
proceed. 

4.  I  have  finished,  etc.  These  words  refer  more  probably  to  the 
work  of  preaching  and  teaching  on  earth  which  our  Lord  at  this 
time  had  actually  completed. 

5.  Glorify  thou  me,  etc.  Christ  asks  that  His  human  nature,  in 
so  far  as  it  is  capable,  may  now  be  glorified  with  the  glory  which 
His  Divinity  has  enjoyed  from  all  eternity. 


514  ST.  JOHN  XVII,  6-13 

6.  I  have  manifested  thy  name  to  the  men  whom  thou  hast  given  me  out  of 
the  world.  Thine  they  were,  and  to  me  thou  gavest  them ;  and  they  have  kept 
thy  word. 

7.  Now  they  have  known,  that  all  things  which  thou  hast  given  me,  are 
from  thee : 

8.  Because  the  words  which  thou  gavest  me,  I  have  given  to  them ;  and  they 
have  received  them,  and  have  known  in  very  deed  that  I  came  out  from  thee, 
and  they  have  believed  that  thou  didst  send  me. 

9-  I  pray  for  them :  I  pray  not  for  the  world,  but  for  them  whom  thou  hast 
given  me :  because  they  are  thine : 

ID.  Andall  my  things  are  thine,and  thine  are  mine ;  and  I  am  glorified  in  them. 

11.  And  now  I  am  not  in  the  world,  and  these  are  in  the  world,  and  I  come 
to  thee.  Holy  Father,  keep  them  in  thy  name  whom  thou  hast  given  me ;  that 
they  may  be  one,  as  we  also  are. 

12.  While  I  was  with  them,  I  kept  them  in  thy  name.  Those  whom  thou 
gavest  me  have  I  kept;  and  none  of  them  is  lost,  but  the  son  of  perdition,  that 
the  scripture  may  be  fulfilled. 

13.  And  now  I  come  to  thee ;  and  these  things  I  speak  in  the  world,  that  they 
may  have  my  joy  filled  in  themselves. 

6.  To  the  men  whom  thou  hast  given  me;  i.e.,  to  the  Apostles, 
who  had  been  chosen  from  the  beginning  by  the  Eternal  Father. 
To  others  who  had  not  been  thus  elected  our  Lord  had  manifested 
the  name  and  glory  of  His  Father,  but  without  avail. 

9.  I  pray  not  for  the  world.  Our  Lord  did  not  exclude  the 
wicked  of  the  world  from  all  His  prayers,  but  only  from  this 
particular  one,  which  was  for  His  Apostles. 

10.  Our  Lord's  words  here  plainly  declare  His  substantial  unity 
with  the  Father,  besides  giving  another  reason  why  His  prayer  for 
the  Apostles  should  be  heard. 

11.  Whom  thou  hast  given  me.  These  words  are  variously  read 
in  the  Greek.  Some  M.SS.  have  ovs  SedwKas ;  others,  ^  SkddOKas ;  others, 
0  ScSco/cas.  This  third  is  perhaps  the  best  reading,  and  the  meaning 
is:  "  Keep  them  in  thy  name,  that  zuhich  thou  hast  given  me." 

12.  Those  whom  thou  gavest  me,  —  rather,  "  that  which  thou 
gavest  me."  The  Greek  readings  are  the  same  as  in  the  preceding 
verse. 

The  son  of  perdition  means  Judas,  whose  loss,  through  his  own 
fault,  had  already  been  decreed.  The  Scripture  is  Psalm  cviii.  8. 
The  Holy  Ghost  through  the  Scriptures  had  foretold  the  eternal 
loss  of  the  traitor,  because  He  foresaw  that  this  would  be  the  mis- 
erable Apostle's  free  choice. 

13.  My  joy   refers   to   our   Lord's    felicity   in  being  under  the 


ST.  JOHN  XVII,  14-23  515 

14.  I  have  given  them  thy  word,  and  the  world  hath  hated  them,  because 
they  are  not  of  the  world ;  as  I  also  am  not  of  the  vvorld. 

15.  I  pray  not  that  thou  shouldst  take  them  out  of  the  world,  but  that  thou 
shouldst  keep  them  from  evil. 

16.  They  are  not  of  the  world,  as  I  also  am  not  of  the  world. 

17.  Sanctify  them  in  truth.    Thy  word  is  truth. 

18.  As  thou  hast  sent  me  into  the  world,  I  also  have  sent  them  into  the 
world. 

19.  And  for  them  do  I  sanctify  myself,  that  they  also  may  be  sanctified  in 
truth. 

20.  And  not  for  them  only  do  I  pray,  but  for  them  also  who  through  their 
word  shall  believe  in  me; 

21.  That  they  all  may  be  one,  as  thou,  Father,  in  me,  and  I  in  thee; 
that  they  also  may  be  one  m  us ;  that  the  world  may  believe  that  thou  hast 
sent  me. 

22.  And  the  glory  which  thou  hast  given  me,  I  have  given  to  them ;  that 
they  may  be  one,  as  we  also  are  one : 

23.  I  in  them,  and  thou  in  me;  that  they  may  be  made  perfect  in  one:  and 
the  world  may  know  that  thou  hast  sent  me,  and  hast  loved  them,  as  thou  hast 
also  loved  me. 

Father's  protection,  in   fulfilling  His  will,  and  especially  now  in 
going  to  the  Father. 

14.  The  world  hath  hated  them.  The  Apostles  were  hated  by 
the  wicked  world,  because  they  had  received  the  words  of  Christ. 

15.  From  evil,  U  rod  Troprjpov,  as  in  the  Lord's  Prayer.  See  on 
Matthew  vi.  13. 

17.  In  truth,  —  rather,  "in  the  truth,"  which  most  probably 
means  the  word  of  God,  the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  (St.  Chrysos- 
tom).  The  Apostles  were  sanctified,  i.e.,  consecrated,  set  apart,  for 
the  preaching  of  the  Gospel  and  the  work  of  the  ministry. 

19.  I  sanctify  myself;  i.e.,  I  set  Myself  apart,  consecrate  Myself 
as  a  victim.  The  reference  is  to  our  Lord's  Passion  which  He  was 
shortly  to  suffer. 

In  truth,  here  means  really,  truly,  in  sincerity.  Ci.  2  John  i  ; 
3  John  I. 

21.  That  the  world  may  believe,  etc.  These  words  show  that 
our  Lord,  just  before  He  suffered,  prayed  that  His  Church  might 
enjoy  the  mark  or  note  of  unity  to  such  a  degree  that  it  would 
resemble  the  unity  of  the  Blessed  Trinity  and  be  to  all  the  world 
a  sign  of  the  true  Church.  There  was  to  be  "  one  body  and  one 
Spirit,  one  Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism  "  (Eph.  iv.  4,  5). 

22.  The  glory,  most  probably  means  the  grace  of  divine  filiation 


Sl6  ST,  JOHN  XVII,  24-26;- XVIII,  1,  2 

24.  Father,  1  will  that  where  I  am,  they  also  whom  thou  hast  given  me  may 
be  with  me;  that  they  may  see  my  glory  which  thou  hast  given  me,  because 
thou  hast  loved  me  before  the  creation  of  the  world, 

25.  Just  Father,  the  world  hath  not  known  thee;  but  I  have  known  thee: 
and  these  have  known  that  thou  hast  sent  me. 

26.  And  I  have  made  known  thy  name  to  them,  and  will  make  it  known ; 
that  the  love  wherewith  thou  hast  loved  me,  may  be  in  them,  and  I  in  them. 

by  which  the  Apostles  were  made  the  adopted  sons  of  God ;  or,  as 
others  hold,  the  Divinity,  which  our  Lord  had  from  His  Eternal 
Father,  and  which  in  the  Blessed  Eucharist  He  had  that  night  com- 
municated to  the  Apostles.  Here  in  verses  20-23  our  Lord  is  pray- 
ing not  only  for  the  Apostles,  but  for  all  the  faithful. 

24.  Here  Christ  prays  that  at  length  the  Apostles  may  be  made 
sharers  with  Him  in  eternal  glory  in  Heaven. 

25.  Just  Father.  Christ  now  appeals  to  the  justice  of  His  Father 
to  hear  His  prayer  for  His  disciples. 

26.  And  will  make  it  known;  i.e.,  through  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
the  preaching  of  the  Apostles. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 

Jesus  in  the  Garden  of  Gethsemani,  i,  2. 
The  Betrayal  and  the  Arrest,  3-1  i. 
Jesus  Before  the  Sanhedrim,  12-14. 
The  First  Denial  of  Peter,  15-18. 
The  High-Priest  Interrogates  Jesus,  19-24. 
Peter's  Second  and  Third  Denials,  25-27. 
Jesus  Before  Pilate,  28-38. 

Barabbas   is   Released   in    Preference   to   Jesus, 
39-40. 

1.  When  Jesus  had  said  these  things,  he  went  forth  with  his  disciples  over 
the  brook  Cedron,  where  there  was  a  garden,  into  which  he  entered  with  his 
disciples. 

2.  And  Judas  also,  who  betrayed  him,  knew  the  place;  because  Jesus  had 
often  resorted  thither  together  with  his  disciples. 

I.  He  went  forth;  i.e.,  from  the  Supper  Room ;  or,  as  others  say, 
from  the  place  on  the  way  to  Gethsemani  where  the  prayer  of 
chapter  xvii  had  been  uttered. 

The  brook  Cedron,  a  small  stream  flowing  in  winter,  but  dry 


ST.  JOHN  XVIII,  3-14  517 

3.  Judas  therefore  having  received  a  band  of  soldiers  and  servants  from  the 
chief  priests  and  the  Pharisees,  cometh  thither  with  lanterns  and  torches  and 
weapons. 

4.  Jesus  therefore,  knowing  all  things  that  should  come  upon  him,  went 
forth,  and  said  to  them:  Whom  seek  ye? 

5.  They  answered  him  :  Jesus  of  Nazareth.  Jesus  saith  to  them  :  I  am  he. 
And  Judas  also,  who  betrayed  him,  stood  with  them. 

6.  As  soon  therefore  as  he  had  said  to  them  :  I  am  he;  they  went  backward, 
and  fell  to  the  ground. 

7.  Again  therefore  he  asked  them:  Whom  seek  ye?  And  they  said,  Jesus 
of  Nazareth. 

8.  Jesus  answered,  1  have  told  you  that  I  am  he.  If  therefore  you  seek  me, 
let  these  go  their  way, 

9.  That  the  word  might  be  fulfilled  which  he  said:  Of  them  whom  thou 
hast  given  me,  I  have  not  lost  any  one. 

10.  Then  Simon  Peter,  having  a  sword,  drew  it,  and  struck  the  servant  of 
the  high  priest,  and  cut  off  his  right  ear.  And  the  name  of  the  servant  was 
Malchus. 

11.  Jesus  therefore  said  to  Peter :  Put  up  thy  sword  into  the  scabbard.  The 
chalice  which  my  Father  hath  given  me,  shall  I  not  drink  it? 

12.  Then  the  band  and  the  tribune,  and  the  servants  of  the  Jews,  took  Jesus, 
and  bound  him : 

13.  And  they  led  him  away  to  Annas  first,  for  he  was  father  in  law  to 
Caiphas,  who  was  the  high  priest  of  that  year. 

14.  Now  Caiphas  was  he  who  had  given  the  counsel  to  the  Jews:  That  it 
was  expedient  that  one  man  should  die  for  the  people. 

in  summer,  between  Jerusalem  and  the  Mount  of  Olives,  on  the 
east.     See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  36. 

3.  A  band  of  soldiers;  i.e.,  a  Roman  cohort  {riiv  a-wetpav).  At 
the  Paschal  festival  the  governor  was  accustomed  to  send  a  com- 
pany of  these  warriors  to  guard  at  the  gate  of  the  Temple  and  to 
prevent  any  uprising.     Cf.  Acts  xxi.  31. 

4.  Jesus  knowing,  etc.  This  foreknowledge  is  another  proof  of  our 
Lord's  Divinity,  at  least  when  taken  in  conjunction  with  His  claims. 

6.  Fell  to  the  ground.  This  was  the  effect  of  divine  power 
which  our  Lord  momentarily  exercised  against  His  enemies. 

9.  That  the  word,  etc.,  which  He  had  said,  xvii.  12, 

10.  Simon  Peter.  Unlike  the  Synoptists,  who  wrote  during 
Peter's  lifetime,  St.  John,  writing  after  Peter  was  dead,  gives  us 
his  name  in  the  present  instance. 

11.  See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  51-54. 

12.  13.  See  on  IMatthew  xxvi.  57-59.  This  was  the  first  night 
trial  of  our  Lord  before  Annas. 


5X8  ST.  JOHN  XVIII,  15-24 

15.  And  Simon  Peter  followed  Jesus,  and  so  did  another  disciple.  And  that 
disciple  was  known  to  the  high  priest,  and  went  in  with  Jesus  into  the  court 
of  the  high  priest. 

16.  But  Peter  stood  at  the  door  without.  The  other  disciple  therefore,  who 
was  known  to  the  high  priest,  went  out,  and  spoke  to  the  portress,  and  brought 
in  Peter. 

17.  The  maid  therefore  that  was  portress,  saith  to  Peter:  Art  not  thou  also 
one  of  this  man's  disciples?    He  saith :  I  am  not. 

18.  Now  the  servants  and  ministers  stood  at  a  fire  of  coals,  because  it  was 
cold,  and  warmed  themselves.  And  with  them  was  Peter  also,  standing,  and 
warming  himself. 

19.  The  high  priest  therefore  asked  Jesus  of  his  disciples,  and  of  his 
doctrine. 

20.  Jesus  answered  him :  I  have  spoken  openly  to  the  world :  I  have  alwaj's 
taught  in  the  synagogue,  and  in  the  temple,  whither  all  the  Jews  resort ;  and  in 
secret  I  have  spoken  nothing. 

21.  Why  asketh  thou  me?  ask  them  who  have  heard  what  I  have  spoken 
unto  them :  behold  they  know  what  things  I  have  said. 

22.  And  when  he  had  said  these  things,  one  of  the  servants  standing  by, 
gave  Jesus  a  blow,  saying:  Answerest  thou  the  high  priest  so? 

23.  Jesus  answered  him:  If  I  have  spoken  evil,  give  testimony  of  the  evil; 
but  if  well,  why  strikest  thou  me? 

24.  And  Annas  sent  him  bound  to  Caiphas  the  high  priest. 


High-Priest  of  that  year.    See  on  xi.  49. 

15-18.  See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  69,  70.  It  seems  more  probable 
that  Annas  and  Caiphas  occupied  an  official  residence  in  common, 
or,  at  least,  that  Annas  was  the  guest  of  Caiphas,  his  son-in-law, 
at  the  time  of  the  Paschal  feast.  Thus  Jesus,  during  His  night 
trials,  was  led  from  the  apartment  of  one  to  those  of  the 
other,  across  the  common  court  attached  to  the  house  of  Annas 
and  Caiphas.  In  this  court,  too,  it  was  that  Peter  denied  His 
Master. 

The  other  disciple  was  undoubtedly  St.  John  the  Evan- 
gelist. 

21.  Ask  them,  etc.  This  refers  most  likely,  not  only  to  the 
Scribes  and  Pharisees,  who  were  present,  but  to  all  who  had  heard 
the  teaching  of  Christ. 

23.  Evil  may  refer  to  the  reply  our  Lord  had  just  made  to  the 
High-Priest,  or  to  His  general  teaching. 

24.  Our  Lord  was  now  led  from  Annas  across  the  court  to  the 
apartments  of  Caiphas  for  His  second  night  trial.  See  on  Matthew 
xxvi.  57-59. 


ST.  JOHN  XVIII,  25-31  519 

25.  And  Simon  Peter  was  standing,  and  warming  himself.  Tiiey  said  there- 
fore to  him:  Art  not  thou  also  one  of  his  disciples?  He  denied  it,  and  said: 
I  am  not. 

26.  One  of  the  servants  of  the  high  priest  (a  kinsman  to  him  whose  ear 
Peter  cut  off)  saith  to  him :  Did  not  I  see  thee  in  the  garden  with  him? 

2"}.  Again  therefore  Peter  denied ;  and  immediately  the  cock  crew. 

28.  Then  they  led  Jesus  from  Caiphas  to  the  governor's  hall.  And  it  was 
morning;  and  they  went  not  into  the  hall,  that  they  might  not  be  defiled,  but 
that  they  might  eat  the  pasch. 

29.  Pilate  therefore  went  out  to  them,  and  said :  What  accusation  bring  you 
against  this  man? 

30.  They  answered,  and  said  to  him  :  If  he  were  not  a  malefactor,  we  would 
not  have  delivered  him  up  to  thee. 

31.  Pilate  therefore  said  to  them:  Take  him  you,  and  judge  him  according 
to  your  law.  The  Jews  therefore  said  to  him  :  It  is  not  lawful  for  us  to  put 
any  man  to  death  ; 

25-27.  See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  69,  70.  If  St.  John  represents 
Peter  as  standing  during-  the  denials,  while  St.  Matthew  speaks  of 
him  as  seated,  it  is  because  they  are  referring  to  different  moments. 

St.  John  passes  over  the  many  indignities  and  outrages  recorded 
by  Matthew  (xxvi.  66  ff.)  and  Mark  (xiv.  64)  which  our  Lord  suf- 
fered between  His  night  trials  before  the  High- Priests  and  day- 
break. This  is  because  the  Synoptists  had  already  recorded  these 
events. 

28.  The  governor's  hall ;  i.e.,  the  hall  within  the  official  residence 
at  Jerusalem  of  Pontius  Pilate  who,  as  Roman  Procurator,  gov- 
erned Judea  at  this  time.  Ordinarily  the  Roman  Procurators  resided 
at  Caesarea  on  the  sea-coast,  but  at  great  festivals  they  went  up  to 
Jerusalem  with  their  soldiers  to  prevent  any  uprising  or  disturbance 
among  the  people  (Josephus,  Bell.  Jud.,  ii.  14,  3).  At  this  time 
Pilate  was  staying  in  the  castle  of  Antonia,  north  of  the  Temple. 
This  was  our  Lord's  first  appearance  before  Pilate. 

That  they  might  not  be  defiled,  etc.  See  Exod.  xii.  15.  Some 
understand  this  to  mean  that  the  Jews  had  not  yet  eaten  the  Paschal 
Supper.  Others  say  that  the  legal  defilement  here  referred  to  was 
guarded  against  in  view  of  some  other  Paschal  sacrifices  which  were 
partaken  of  during  the  seven  days  of  the  Paschal  feast  (Deut.  xvi. 
2,  3 ;  2  Paralip.  xxx.  22).    See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  17  ff. 

29-31.  The  Roman  authorities  had  taken  away  from  the  Jews 
all  power  to  inflict  capital  punishments  for  civil  oft'ences,  and  per- 
haps for  religious  ones  also;  but  Pilate  seems  here  to  give  them 


520  ST.  JOHN  XVIII,  32-40 

^2.  That  the  word  of  Jesus  might  be  fulfilled,  which  he  said,  signifying 
what  death  he  should  die. 

33.  Pilate  therefore  went  into  the  hall  again,  and  called  Jesus,  and  said  to 
him :  Art  thou  the  king  of  the  Jews? 

34.  Jesus  answered:  Sayest  thou  this  thing  of  thyself,  or  have  others  told  it 
thee  of  me? 

35.  Pilate  answered:  Am  I  a  Jew?  Thy  own  nation,  and  the  chief  priests, 
have  delivered  thee  up  to  me :  what  hast  thou  done  ? 

36.  Jesus  answered:  My  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world.  If  my  kingdom 
were  of  this  world,  my  servants  would  certainly  strive  that  I  should  not  be 
delivered  to  the  Jews :  but  now  my  kingdom  is  not  from  hence. 

37.  Pilate  therefore  said  to  him:  Art  thou  a  king  then?  Jesus  answered: 
Thou  sayest  that  I  am  a  king.  For  this  was  I  born,  and  for  this  came  I  into 
the  world;  that  I  should  give  testimony  to  the  truth.  Every  one  that  is  of  the 
truth,  heareth  my  voice. 

38.  Pilate  saith  to  him :  What  is  truth  ?  And  when  he  said  this,  he  went  out 
again  to  the  Jews,  and  saith  to  them :  I  find  no  cause  in  him. 

39.  But  you  have  a  custom  that  I  should  release  one  unto  you  at  the  pasch : 
will  you,  therefore,  that  I  release  unto  you  the  king  of  the  Jews? 

40.  Then  cried  they  all  again,  saying:  Not  this  man,  but  Barabbas.  Now 
Barabbas  was  a  robber. 

power  to  condemn  and  execute  Jesus,  as  they  see  fit,  according  to 
their  own  laws.  The  Jews,  however,  want  Pilate  to  assume  the 
responsibility  for  Jesus'  death. 

32.  Jesus  had  foretold  (Matthew  xx.  19;  John  iii.  14;  xii.  32- 
34)  that  He  was  to  die  by  the  death  of  the  cross,  and  this  was  the 
"  word  "  which  was  to  be  fulfilled.  Had  the  Jews  put  Him  to  death 
it  would  have  been  by  stoning,  as  a  blasphemer  (Lev.  xxiv.  14). 

33.  In  order  the  more  to  induce  Pilate  to  condemn  our  Lord  the 
Jews  now  accuse  Him  of  civil  crimes,  such  as,  "perverting  the  nation, 
forbidding  to  give  tribute  to  Caesar,  and  pretending  to  be  king  of 
the  Jews"  (Luke  xxiii.  2).  A  claim  to  kingship  naturally  stirred 
Pilate,  to  some  extent,  because  this  was  a  threat  against  Rome. 

34-37.    Our  Lord  replies  to  Pilate  that  He  is,  indeed,  a  king;  but 
not  a  temporal  one,  such  as  Caesar  would  fear.     He  is  a  spiritual 
king,  who  came  into  the  world  to  found  a  spiritual  kingdom.  His 
,  Church,  for  the  salvation  of  all  mankind. 

38.  What  is  truth?  This  question  Pilate  asked,  not  for  informa- 
tion, but  out  of  contempt  for  what  Christ  had  just  said. 

39,  40.  The  proposal  to  release  Jesus  or  Barabbas  was  made  after 
our  Lord  had  been  taken  to  Herod  (Luke  xxiii.  8-12).  See  on 
Matthew  xxvii.  15,  16. 


ST.  JOHN  XIX,  1-6  521 


CHAPTER  XIX 

Jesus  is  Condemned  to  Death.  1-16. 

The  Way  to  Calvary,  17-24. 

The  Blessed  Virgin  and  St.  John  at  the  Foot 

OF  THE  Cross,  25-27. 
Jesus  Dies  on  the  Cross,  28-30. 
Jesus  in  the  Sepulchre,  31-42. 

1.  Then  therefore,  Pilate  took  Jesus,  and  scourged  him. 

2.  .A.nd  the  soldiers  platting  a  crown  of  thorns,  put  it  upon  his  head ;  and 
they  put  on  him  a  purple  garment. 

3.  And  they  came  to  him,  and  said:  Hail,  king  of  the  Jews;  and  they  gave 
him  blows. 

4-  Pilate  therefore  went  forth  again,  and  saith  to  them :  Behold,  I  bring 
him  forth  unto  you,  that  you  may  know  that  I  find  no  cause  in  him. 

5.  (Jesus  therefore  came  forth,  bearing  the  crown  of  thorns  and  the  purple 
garment.)     And  he  saith  to  them:  Behold  the  Man. 

6.  When  the  chief  priests,  therefore,  and  the  servants,  had  seen  him,  they 
cried  out,  saying:  Crucify  him,  crucify  him.  Pilate  saith  to  them:  Take  him 
you,  and  crucify  him :  for  I  find  no  cause  in  him. 

1.  See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  24.  This  scourging  of  Christ  was 
according  to  the  Roman  method,  which  did  not  limit  the  number 
of  stripes.  Scourging  according  to  Jewish  Law  was  not  to  exceed 
forty  stripes  (Deut.  xxv.  2,  3).  The  Roman  nagellum,  with  which 
our  Lord  was  scourged,  was  made  of  strong  cords  or  strips  of 
leather:  it  was  knotted  with  pieces  of  bone  or  wood  to  tear  the 
flesh. 

2,  3.  See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  26-29.  St.  Matthew  and  St.  Mark 
(xv.  15-18)  seem  to  represent  the  crowning  with  thorns  and  the 
mocking  of  our  Lord  with  the  cloak  as  following  the  sentence  of 
death,  which,  according  to  St.  John,  preceded  those  incidents.  It 
is  more  probable  that  the  first  two  Gospels  have  not  preserved  the 
strict  order  of  events  in  this  particular. 

4-6.  Pilate  could  find  no  guilt  in  Jesus,  and  he  thought  the  sight 
of  the  Saviour's  torn  and  bleeding  body  would  satisfy  the   Tews; 


522  ST.  JOHN  XIX,  7-14 

7.  The  Jews  answered  him :  We  have  a  law :  and  according  to  the  law  he 
ought  to  die,  because  he  made  himself  the  Son  of  God. 

8.  When  Pilate  therefore  had  heard  this  saying,  he  feared  the  more. 

9.  And  he  entered  into  the  hall  again,  and  he  said  to  Jesus:  Whence  art 
thou?    But  Jesus  gave  him  no  answer. 

10.  Pilate  therefore  saith  to  him:  Speakest  thou  not  to  me?  knowest  thou 
not  that  I  have  power  to  crucify  thee,  and  I  have  power  to  release  thee? 

11.  Jesus  answered:  Thou  shouldst  not  have  any  power  against  me,  unless 
it  were  given  thee  from  above.  Therefore,  he  that  hath  delivered  me  to  thee, 
hath  the  greater  sin. 

12.  And  from  henceforth  Pilate  sought  to  release  him.  But  the  Jews  cried 
out,  saying:  If  thou  release  this  man,  thou  art  not  Caesar's  friend.  For  who- 
soever maketh  himself  a  king,  speaketh  against  Caesar. 

13.  Now  when  Pilate  had  heard  these  words,  he  brought  Jesus  forth,  and 
sat  down  in  the  judgment  seat,  in  the  place  that  is  called  Lithostrotos,  and  in 
Hebrew  Gabbatha. 

14.  And  it  was  the  parasceve  of  the  pasch,  about  the  sixth  hour,  and  he 
saith  to  the  Jews :  Behold  your  king. 


but  seeing  that  they  wanted  Him  crucified,  he  weakly  yielded  to 
their  demands. 

7.  We  have  a  law,  referring  to  Levit.  xxiv.  16,  against  blas- 
phemers. 

8-1 1.  Hearing  that  Christ  claimed  to  be  the  Son  of  God 
Pilate  became  still  more  anxious  to  release  Him,  and  therefore  he 
further  questioned  Jesus.  The  Saviour,  however,  considered 
no  reply  necessary.  But  when  Pilate  began  to  boast  of  his 
power,  our  Lord  reminded  him  that  all  his  power  was  from 
God. 

Therefore  he  that  hath  delivered  me  to  thee,  etc.  The  most 
probable  meaning  here  is:  Because  you  have  lawful  authority  de- 
rived from  God  and  are,  therefore,  able  to  put  Me  to  death,  the 
Sanhedrim,  which  has  delivered  Me  over  to  you,  has  a  "  greater 
sin  "  than  it  would  have  had  you  not  such  authority  (Toletus). 

12.  In  a  final  attempt  to  get  Pilate  to  condemn  Jesus  the  Jews 
intimated  that,  if  he  did  not  do  so,  they  would  denounce  him  to 
Caesar.  "• 

Lithostrotos;  i.e.,  a.  pavement,  —  from  \Wos,  stone,  and  arpcoTos, 
paved.  Gabbatha  means  a  "  high  place."  The  judgment  seat  was 
usually  on  an  elevated  platform  in  front  of  the  Praetorium. 

14.  The  parasceve  of  the  pasch.  "  Parasceve  ''  is  a  Greek  word 
and  means  preparation,  or  day  of  preparation.     Hence  the  above 


ST.  JOHN  XIX,  15-25  523 

15.  But  they  cried  out :  Away  with  him;  away  with  him  ;  crucify  him.  Pilate 
saith  to  them:  Shall  I  crucify  your  king?  The  chief  priests  answered:  We 
have  no  king  but  Caesar. 

16.  Then  therefore  he  delivered  him  to  them  to  be  crucified.  And  they  took 
Jesus,  and  led  him  forth. 

17.  And  bearing  his  own  cross,  he  went  forth  to  that  place  which  is  called 
Calvary,  but  in  Hebrew  Golgotha. 

18.  Where  they  crucified  him,  and  with  him  two  others,  one  on  each  side, 
and  Jesus  in  the  midst. 

19.  And  Pilate  wrote  a  title  also,  and  he  put  it  upon  the  cross.  And  the 
writing  was :  Jfisus  of  Nazareth,  the  King  of  the  Jews. 

20.  This  title  therefore  many  of  the  Jews  did  read :  because  the  place  where 
Jesus  was  crucified  was  nigh  to  the  city  :  and  it  was  written  in  Hebrew,  in 
Greek,  and  in  Latin. 

21.  Then  the  chief  priests  of  the  Jews  said  to  Pilate:  Write  not.  The  King 
of  the  Jews;  but  that  he  said,  I  am  the  King  of  the  Jews. 

22.  Pilate  answered :  What  I  have  written,  I  have  written. 

23.  The  soldiers  therefore,  when  they  had  crucified  him,  took  his  garments, 
(and  they  made  four  parts,  to  every  soldier  a  part,)  and  also  his  coat.  Now 
the  coat  was  without  seam,  woven  from  the  top  throughout. 

24.  They  said  then  one  to  another :  Let  us  not  cut  it,  but  let  us  cast  lots  for 
it,  whose  it  shall  be ;  that  the  scripture  might  be  fulfilled,  saying :  They  have 
parted  my  garments  among  them,  and  upon  my  vesture  they  have  cast  lot. 
And  the  soldiers  indeed  did  these  things. 

25.  Now  there  stood  by  the  cross  of  Jesus,  his  mother,  and  his  mother's 
sister,  Mary  of  Cleophas,  and  Mary  Magdalen. 

phrase  may  mean:  (a)  the  preparation  for  the  Paschal  feast,  or  the 
day  before  the  feast  began;  (b)  the  preparation  for,  or  day  before, 
the  Sabbath.     See  on  Matthew  xxvi.  I7fif. 

About  the  sixth  hour.    See  on  Mark  xv.  25  ;  Matthew  xxvii.  45. 

15.  However  much  the  Jews  hated  Caesar  and  the  Romans  they 
preferred  them  to  Christ, 

17.  See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  32,  33. 

18.  See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  35. 

19.  See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  37,  38. 

20.  Was  nigh  to  the  city.  Calvary  was  about  one  mile  from  the 
center  of  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  and  the  city  was  filled  with  strangers 
who  had  come  there  for  the  Passover. 

23,  24.  See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  35.  The  coat  or  tunic 
was  worn  under  the  garments.  Tradition  says  that  this  seam- 
less garment  was  woven  for  our  Lord  by  the  Blessed  Virgin 
herself. 

25.    See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  55,  56.     This  passage  of  St.  John 


524  ST.  JOHN  XIX,  26-33 

26.  When  Jesus  therefore  had  seen  his  mother  and  the  disciple  standing 
whom  he  loved,  he  saith  to  his  mother :  Woman,  behold  thy  son. 

27.  After  that,  he  saith  to  the  disciple :  Behold  thy  mother.  And  from  that 
hour,  the  disciple  took  her  to  his  own. 

28.  Afterwards,  Jesus  knowing  that  all  things  were  now  accomplished,  that 
the  scripture  might  be  fulfilled,  said :  I  thirst. 

29.  Now  there  was  a  vessel  set  there  full  of  vinegar.  And  they,  putting  a 
sponge  full  of  vinegar  about  hyssop,  put  it  to  his  mouth. 

30.  Jesus  therefore,  when  he  had  taken  the  vinegar,  said:  It  is  consum- 
mated.   And  bowing  his  head,  he  gave  up  the  ghost. 

31.  Then  the  Jews,  (because  it  was  the  parasceve,)  that  the  bodies  might 
not  remain  upon  the  cross  on  the  sabbath  day,  (for  that  was  a  great  sabbath 
day,)  besought  Pilate  that  their  legs  might  be  broken,  and  that  they  might  be 
taken  away. 

32.  The  soldiers  therefore  came ;  and  they  broke  the  legs  of  the  first,  and  of 
the  other  that  was  crucified  with  him. 

33.  But  after  they  were  come  to  Jesus,  when  they  saw  that  he  was  already 
dead,  they  did  not  break  his  legs. 

does  not  contradict  St.  Matthevu.  The  holy  women  were  doubt- 
less obliged  to  remain  at  a  distance  for  the  most  part,  but  they 
returned  again  and  again  to  the  foot  of  the  cross.  The  two  Evange- 
lists, therefore,  are  speaking  of  different  times.  Cf.  Mark  xv.  40; 
Luke  xxiii.  49. 

26,  27.  In  these  verses  St.  John  is  commended  to  Mary  as  a  son, 
and  she  to  him  as  a  mother.  St.  Joseph  being  dead,  the  beloved 
Apostle  was  to  have  care  of  the  Mother  of  Jesus  and  take  her  to 
his  own  dwelling.  This  is  one  of  the  strongest  proofs  that  Mary 
had  no  other  children. 

It  is  to  be  noted  that  at  this  solemn  moment  our  Lord  addressed 
His  Mother  by  the  title,  "  Woman,"  yvvai,  just  as  He  had  done 
before  at  the  marriage  feast  of  Cana  (John  ii.  4).  As  this  title 
could  not  have  been  disrespectful  on  the  present  occasion,  so  it  was 
not  on  the  previous  one. 

28,  29.  Accomplished;  i.e.,  the  prophecies  concerning  the 
Messiah  were  fulfilled  and  now  He  said,  "  I  thirst,"  in  accord- 
ance with  the  prophecy  of  Psalm  Ixviii.  22.  See  on  Matthew 
xxvii.  48. 

30.  It  is  consummated;  i.e.,  all  the  prophecies  relative  to  the 
Messiah  were  fulfilled,  and  commending  His  soul  to  His  Eternal 
Father  (Luke  xxiii.  46),  He  bowed  His  head  and  died. 

31.  Because  it  was  the  parasceve;  i.e.,  Friday,  the  day  before 


ST.  JOHN  XIX,  34-39  525 

34.  But  one  of  the  soldiers  with  a  spear  opened  his  side,  and  immediately 
there  came  out  blood  and  water. 

35.  And  he  that  saw  it,  hath  given  testimony ;  and  his  testimony  is  true. 
And  he  knoweth  that  he  saith  true ;  that  you  also  may  believe. 

36.  For  these  things  were  done,  that  the  scripture  might  be  fulfilled :  You 
shall  not  break  a  bone  of  him. 

^7.  And  again  another  scripture  saith :  They  shall  look  on  him  whom  they 
pierced. 

38.  And  after  these  things,  Joseph  of  Arimathea  (because  he  was  a  disciple 
of  Jesus,  but  secretly  for  fear  of  the  Jews)  besought  Pilate  that  he  might  take 
away  the  body  of  Jesus.  And  Pilate  gave  leave.  He  came  therefore,  and  took 
away  the  body  of  Jesus. 

39.  And  Nicodemus  also  came,  (he  who  at  the  first  came  to  Jesus  by  night.) 
bringing  a  mixture  of  myrrh  and  aloes,  about  an  hundred  pound  weight. 

the  Sabbath.     That  was  called  a  "  great  sabbath  day  "  because  it 
fell  within  the  octave  of  the  Pasch. 

34.  Opened,  —  rather,  pierced,  which  is  according  to  the  more 
probable  Greek  reading,  'hv^ev. 

Blood  and  water.  The  Fathers  generally  understand  the  blood 
and  water  from  our  Lord's  side  to  have  been  miraculous.  In  the 
blood  they  see  a  type  of  the  Blessed  Eucharist,  and  in  the  flow  of 
water  a  type  of  Baptism. 

35.  He  that  saw  it,  etc.  "  It "  is  not  in  the  Greek,  and  the 
reference  here  is  to  all  that  is  contained  in  the  two  preceding  verses, 
and  not  merely  to  the  flow  of  blood  and  water. 

That  you  may  believe;  i.e.,  that  Jesus  was  the  true  Messiah  who 
fulfilled  the  prophecies  foretold  of  Him. 

36.  You  shall  not  break  a  bone  of  him  refers  literally  to  the 
Paschal  lamb  (Exod.  xii.  46;  Num.  ix.  12),  but  typically  to  Christ, 
as  St.  John  here  tells  us. 

37.  They  shall  look  upon  him,  etc.  This  Messianic  passage  is 
from  Zach.  (xii.  10),  and  was  verified  in  the  case  of  our  Lord,  as  we 
know  from  St.  Luke  (xxiii.  48). 

38.  Joseph  of  Arimathea,  See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  57 ;  Mark 
XV.  42. 

Pilate  gave  leave;  i.e.,  after  he  had  learned  from  the  centurion 
that  Jesus  was  really  dead  (Mark  xv.  44,  45). 

39.  He  who  at  first  came,  etc.    The  reference  is  to  iii.  i  flF. 
Myrrh  and  aloes,  a  compound  made  from  the  gum  of  the  myrrh 

tree  and  a  powder  of  the  fragrant  aloe  wood. 


526  ST.  JOHN  XIX,  40-42;  XX,  1-4 

40.  They  took  therefore  the  body  of  Jesus,  and  bound  it  in  linen  cloths, 
with  the  spices,  as  the  manner  of  the  Jews  is  to  bury. 

41.  Now  there  was  in  the  place  where  he  was  crucified,  a  garden ;  and  in  the 
garden  a  new  sepulchre,  wherein  no  man  yet  had  been  laid. 

42.  There,  therefore,  because  of  the  parasceve  of  the  Jews,  they  laid  Jesus, 
because  the  sepulchre  was  nigh  at  hand. 

40.  See  on  Mark  xvi.  i. 

41.  A  new  sepulchre.    See  on  Matthew  xxvii.  60. 


CHAPTER  XX 

Mary  Magdalen  Comes  to  the  Tomb,  and  Finding 

IT  Empty,  Runs  and  Tells  Peter  and  John, 

WHO  ALSO  Come  to  the  Tomb,  i-io. 
Jesus  Appears  to  Magdalen,  11-17. 
Magdalen  Announces  her  Vision  of  Jesus  to  the 

Disciples,  18. 
Jesus  Appears  to  the  Disciples  on  Easter  Sunday 

Morning,  19-23. 
The  Incredulity  of  Thomas,  24,  25. 
Thomas  Believes  when  Jesus  Appears  to  him  and 

THE  Other  Disciples,  26-29. 
Epilogue,  30,  31. 

1.  And  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  Mary  Magdalen  cometh  early,  when 
it  was  yet  dark,  unto  the  sepulchre ;  and  she  saw  the  stone  taken  away  from 
the  sepulchre. 

2.  She  ran,  therefore,  and  cometh  to  Simon  Peter,  and  to  the  other  disciple 
whom  Jesus  loved,  and  saith  to  them :  They  have  taken  away  the  Lord  out  of 
the  sepulchre,  and  we  know  not  where  they  have  laid  him. 

3.  Peter  therefore  went  out,  and  that  other  disciple,  and  they  came  to  the 
sepulchre. 

4.  And  they  both  ran  together,  and  that  other  disciple  did  outrun  Peter, 
and  came  first  to  the  sepulchre. 

1.  See  on  Matthew  xxviii.  i  ;  Mark  xvi.  i,  2.  Most  probably 
Magdalen  had  come  from  her  home  at  Bethany,  which  was  about 
three  miles  from  Calvary.  This  explains  how  it  could  have  been 
dark  when  she  started,  but  sun  up  when  she  arrived,  as  St.  Mark 
(xvi.  2)  says. 

2.  See  on  Matthew  xxviii.  2-4. 


ST.  JOHN  XX,  5-15  527 

5.  And  when  he  stooped  down,  he  saw  the  linen  cloths  lying;  but  yet  he 
went  not  in. 

6.  Then  cometh  Simon  Peter,  following  him,  and  went  into  the  sepulchre, 
and  saw  the  linen  cloths  lying, 

7.  And  the  napkin  that  had  been  about  his  head,  not  lying  with  the  linen 
cloths,  but  apart,  wrapped  up  into  one  place. 

8.  Then  that  other  disciple  also  went  in,  who  came  first  to  the  sepulchre  : 
and  he  saw,  and  believed. 

9.  For  as  yet  they  knew  not  the  scripture,  that  he  must  rise  again  from  the 
dead. 

10.  The  disciples  therefore  departed  again  to  their  home. 

11.  But  Mary  stood  at  the  sepulchre  without,  weeping.  Now  as  she  was 
weeping,  she  stooped  down,  and  looked  into  the  sepulchre, 

12.  And  she  saw  two  angels  in  white,  sitting,  one  at  the  head,  and  one  at  the 
feet,  where  the  body  of  Jesus  had  been  laid. 

13.  They  say  to  her:  Woman,  why  weepest  thou?  She  saith  to  them:  Be- 
cause they  have  taken  away  my  Lord ;  and  I  know  not  where  they  have  laid 
him. 

14.  When  she  had  thus  said,  she  turned  herself  back,  and  saw  Jesus  stand- 
ing; and  she  knew  not  that  it  was  Jesus. 

15.  Jesus  saith  to  her:  Woman,  why  weepest  thou?  whom  seekest 
thou?  She,  thinking  that  it  was  the  gardener,  saith  to  him:  Sir,  if  thou 
hast  taken  him  hence,  tell  me  where  thou  hast  laid  him,  and  I  will  take  him 
away. 

The  other  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved,  who  was  John  the  Evan- 
geUst.    Cf .  xiii.  23  ;  xix.  26 ;  xxi.  20. 

5,  6.  The  linen  cloths,  which  had  been  wrapped  about  the  body 
of  the  Saviour. 

8.  And  believed;  i.e.,  that  our  Lord  had  truly  risen  from  the 
dead,  as  He  had  foretold  (Matthew  xvii.  22;  Mark  x.  30;  Luke 
ix.  22). 

9.  For  as  yet,  etc. ;  i.e.,  until  now  they  had  not  understood  that 
our  Lord  should  rise  from  the  dead ;  and  even  now  only  St.  John 
seemed  to  understand  (Luke  xxiv.  12). 

11.  But  Mary  stood  at  the  sepulchre,  etc.  This  was  Magdalen's 
second  visit  to  the  tomb,  where  she  remained  after  Peter  and  John 
had  departed.    See  on  Mark  xvi.  9. 

12.  See  on  Matthew  xxviii.  2-4. 

14.  She  turned,  etc.  Many  believe,  with  St.  Chrysostom,  that 
the  look  which  appeared  on  the  face  of  the  angels  as  they  beheld 
our  Lord  behind  Mary  caused  her  to  turn  round. 

15.  After  His  Resurrection  our  Lord's  body  presented  an  ap- 
pearance very  different  from  that  which  it  had  before ;  in  fact,  it 


528  ST.  JOHN  XX,  16-21 

i6.  Jesus  saith  to  her :  Mary.  She  turning,  saith  to  him :  Rabboni  (which 
is  to  say,  Master). 

17.  Jesus  saith  to  her ;  Do  not  touch  me,  for  I  am  not  yet  ascended  to  my 
Father.  But  go  to  my  brethren,  and  say  to  them :  I  ascend  to  my  Father  and 
to  your  Father,  to  my  God  and  your  God. 

18.  Mary  Magdalen  cometh,  and  telleth  the  disciples :  I  have  seen  the  Lord, 
and  these  things  he  said  to  me. 

19.  Now  when  it  was  late  that  same  day,  the  first  of  the  week,  and  the 
doors  were  shut,  where  the  disciples  were  gathered  together,  for  fear  of  the 
Jews,  Jesus  came  and  stood  in  the  midst,  and  said  to  them :  Peace  be  to  you. 

20.  And  when  he  had  said  this,  he  shewed  them  his  hands  and  his  side. 
The  disciples  therefore  were  glad,  when  they  saw  the  Lord. 

21.  He  said  therefore  to  them  again :  Peace  be  to  you.  As  the  Father  hath 
sent  me,  I  also  send  you. 


changed  in  appearance  frequently.    Cf.  xxi.  4;  Matthew  xxviii.  17; 
Mark  xvi.  12;  Luke  xxiv.  16,  32. 

16.  As  soon  as  our  Lord  called  Mary  by  her  name  she  recognized 
Him,  and  addressed  Him  by  the  Syro-Chaldaic  title,  Rabboni,  which 
means,  "  my  Master." 

17.  Do  not  touch  me,  /xr}  ixov  clttov.  These  words  constitute  a 
great  difficulty,  and  are  variously  explained.  If  we  keep  in  mind 
that  Mary  was  most  probably  prostrated  at  our  Lord's  feet  to  em- 
brace them  and  perhaps  was  clinging  to  Him  the  following  seem 
to  be  the  best  explanations  of  this  passage:  (a)  "Do  not  detain 
Me,  the  time  is  not  yet  come  to  keep  Me  among  you,  I  have  not 
yet  ascended  to  My  Father.''  This  would  imply  that  our  Lord's  defi- 
nite and  permanent  state  in  the  Church  would  be  only  after  the 
coming  of  the  Holy  Ghost  at  Pentecost,  (b)  "Do  not  waste  time 
in  embracing  My  feet  and  clinging  to  Me  now,  you  shall  have  other 
opportunities  to  do  so,  for  I  have  not  yet  ascended  to  My  Father; 
go  at  once  and  announce  the  news  of  My  resurrection  to  My  breth- 
ren." This  latter  seems  a  very  good  and  a  very  natural  explanation 
of  the  difficulty.  The  former  is  not  so  satisfactory,  as  appears  from 
Matthew  xxviii.  9 ;  Luke  xxiv.  39.    See  on  Luke  xxiv.  39-43. 

To  my  Father  by  nature,  and  to  your  Father  by  grace  and  adop- 
tion.   As  man,  our  Lord  spoke  of  God,  as  my  God. 

18.  See  on  Mark  xvi.  11. 

19.  See  on  Mark  xvi.  14;  Luke  xxiv.  33-36. 

20.  See  on  Luke  xxiv.  39-43. 

21.  As  the  Father  hath  sent  me,  etc.     As  the  Father  had  sent 


ST.  JOHN  XX,  22,  23  529 

22.  When  he  had  said  this,  he  breathed  on  them ;  and  he  said  to  them :  Re- 
ceive ye  the  Holy  Ghost. 

22,.  Whose  sins  you  shall  forgive,  they  are  forgiven  them;  and  whose  sins 
you  shall  retain,  they  are  retained. 

the  Son  with  fulness  of  power  to  accomplish,  by  His  labors,  merits 
and  death,  the  redemption  of  mankind,  so  now  the  Son  sends  the 
Apostles  with  the  same  fulness  of  power  and  authority  to  perfect 
the  work  of  redemption  by  applying  to  the  souls  of  men  the  merits 
of  the  life  and  death  of  Christ. 

22.  Receive  ye  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  breathing  on  the  Apostles 
was  an  exterior  sign  used  by  our  Lord,  which  signified  the  actual 
communication  to  them  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  By  this  communication 
the  Apostles  received,  not  sanctifying  grace  which  they  already 
possessed,  but  the  power  of  remitting  and  retaining  the  sins  of 
men.  This  was  a  special  gift,  not  to  be  confounded  with  the  ful- 
ness of  the  gifts  of  the  Holy  Spirit  which  the  Apostles  later  received 
in  a  public  and  visible  manner  on  the  day  of  Pentecost. 

23.  The  Council  of  Trent  (Sess.  xiv.  can.  3)  has  defined  that 
the  words  of  this  verse  express  the  power  of  remitting  and  retaining 
sins  in  the  Sacrament  of  Penance,  as  the  words  naturally  signify, 
and  as  the  Church  has  always  understood.  The  persons  addressed, 
the  Apostles  and  their  successors,  are  herewith  given  the  power  and 
authority  to  pass  judgment  on  sins  and  to  decide  what  sins  are  to 
be  remitted,  and  what  retained;  and  this  judicial  authority  on  the 
part  of  the  Apostles  and  their  successors  naturally  supposes  the 
correlative  obligation  on  the  part  of  the  faithful  of  confessing  their 
sins  in  order  to  obtain  forgiveness.  There  is  no  limit  to  the  power 
of  forgiving  which  the  Apostles  receive,  but  they  are  hereby  con- 
stituted the  judges  as  to  whose  dispositions  are  suitable  for  pardon, 
and  whose  not. 

From  St.  Luke  (xxiv.  33)  we  learn  that  the  Apostles  were  not 
alone  when  the  words  of  this  verse  were  spoken ;  but  the  Church, 
guided  and  taught  by  the  Holy  Ghost  (John  xvi.  13)  has  decided  that 
the  power  then  communicated  was  given  only  to  the  x\postles  and 
their  successors,  the  Bishops  and  priests  of  the  Catholic  Church. 

Thomas  was  absent  on  this  occasion  and  it  is  disputed  whether  he 
also  received  at  this  time  the  power  of  remitting  and  retaining  sins. 
Maldonatus  and  others  hold  that  he  did,  since  he  was  a  member  of 


53Q  ST.  JOHN  XX,  24-30 

24.  Now  Thomas,  one  of  the  twelve,  who  is  called  Didymus,  was  not  with 
them  when  Jesus  came. 

25.  The  other  disciples  therefore  said  to  him :  We  have  seen  the  Lord.  But 
he  said  to  them:  Except  I  shall  see  in  his  hands  the  print  of  the  nails,  and  put 
my  finger  into  the  place  of  the  nails,  and  put  my  hand  into  his  side,  I  will  not 
believe. 

26.  And  after  eight  days  again  his  disciples  were  within,  and  Thomas  with 
them.  Jesus  cometh,  the  doors  being  shut,  and  stood  in  the  midst,  and  said : 
Peace  be  to  you. 

27.  Then  he  saith  to  Thomas :  Put  in  thy  finger  hither,  and  see  my  hands ; 
and  bring  hither  thy  hand,  and  put  it  into  my  side ;  and  be  not  faithless,  but 
believing. 

28.  Thomas  answered,  and  said  to  him :  My  Lord,  and  my  God. 

29.  Jesus  saith  to  him :  Because  thou  hast  seen  me,  Thomas,  thou  hast  be- 
lieved :  blessed  are  they  that  have  not  seen,  and  have  believed. 

30.  Many  other  signs  also  did  Jesus  in  the  sight  of  his  disciples,  which  are 
not  written  in  this  book. 

the  Apostolic  group  who  received  the  power  as  a  body.  In  favor 
of  this  view  the  case  of  Eldad  and  Medad,  who  though  absent,  re- 
ceived the  spirit  of  prophecy  given  through  Moses  to  the  seventy 
of  the  Ancients  of  Israel,  is  cited.  Toletus,  a  Lapide,  and  others 
believe  that  Thomas,  owing  to  his  incredulity,  did  not  receive  at  this 
time  the  power  granted  to  the  others ;  it  was  given  to  him,  they  say, 
on  the  following  Sunday  when  he  believed  (verse  28). 

24.  Thomas,  one  of  the  twelve;  i.e.,  one  of  the  original  twelve. 

Didymus.    See  on  xi.  16. 

26-28.  On  Low  Sunday  our  Lord  appeared  again,  to  all  the 
Apostles  this  time,  to  convert  Thomas  from  his  incredulity  and  to 
confirm  the  faith  of  the  others.  Although  Thomas  was  guilty  of 
sin  in  disbelieving  in  the  Resurrection  of  our  Lord,  still  his  in- 
credulity has  done  more,  as  St.  Gregory  says,  to  strengthen  the 
faith  of  all  subsequent  believers,  than  the  faith  of  all  the  other  dis- 
ciples (St.  Greg.  Horn,  in  Evang.  26). 

My  Lord,  and  my  God,  6  Kupios  nov  koI  6  Geoj  nov.  As  these 
words  were  addressed  to  Christ,  it  is  clear  that  they  are  a  confession 
of  faith  in  our  Lord's  Divinity.  Thomas  expresses  the  faith  he 
has  now  in  his  heart. 

29.  This  verse  proves  that  the  words  of  Thomas  in  the  preceding 
verses  were  a  confession  of  faith  in  our  Lord's  humanity  and 
Divinity. 

30.  Many  other  signs;  i.e.,  many  other  proofs  of  His  Resurrec- 


ST.  JOHN  XX,  31;  XXI,   1,  2  53 1 

31.  But  these  are  written,  that  you  may  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the 
Son  of  God:  and  tliat  believing,  you  may  have  life  in  his  name. 

tion  were  given  to  His  disciples  to  strengthen  and  confirm  their 
faith. 

31.  In  this  verse  St.  John  gives  the  primary  purpose  and  end 
for  which  He  wrote  his  Gospel ;  namely,  to  prove  the  Divinity  of 
Christ. 


CHAPTER  XXI 

Jesus  Appears  at  the  Sea  oe  Galilee,  1-14. 
After  a  Triple  Confession  of  his  Love  for  his 

Master   Peter  is   Made  Visible  Head  of  the 

Whole  Church,  15-17. 
The  Future  of  Peter  and  John,  18-23. 
The  Conclusion  of  the  Gospel,  24-25. 

1.  After  this,  Jesus  shewed  himself  again  to  the  disciples  at  the  sea  of 
Tiberias.    And  he  shewed  himself  after  this  manner. 

2.  There  were  together  Simon  Peter,  and  Thomas,  who  is  called  Didymus, 
and  Nathanael,  who  was  of  Cana  of  Galilee,  and  the  sons  of  Zebedee,  and  two 
others  of  his  disciples. 

Although  this  chapter  gives  evidence  of  having  been  added  as  an 
appendix  to  the  Fourth  Gospel,  and  its  authenticity  and  inspiration 
have,  therefore,  been  seriously  questioned  by  scholars  outside  the 
Church,  no  Catholic  is  permitted  to  doubt  its  inspiration,  and  no  one 
has  reasonable  grounds  for  doubting  that  St.  John  was  its  author. 
That  the  chapter  is  inspired  is  certain  for  Catholics  from  the  Coun- 
cil of  Trent,  which  defined  that  the  entire  books  of  the  Vulgate  with 
all  their  parts  are  inspired ;  and  that  it  was  written  by  St.  John  at 
the  same  time  as,  or  very  soon  after,  the  rest  of  the  Gospel  is  suffi- 
ciently proved  from  the  fact  that  it  is  found  in  all  the  MSS.  of  the 
Gospel  and  is  quoted  by  all  the  Fathers. 

1.  After  this;  i.e.,  some  time  after  His  appearance  to  Thomas 
and  the  other  disciples  on  Low  Sunday. 

The  Sea  of  Tiberias.    See  on  vi.  i. 

2.  Nathanael.    See  on  i.  45. 

Two  others.    Who  these  two  others  were  we  do  not  know. 


532  ST.  JOHN  XXI,  3-11 

3.  Simon  Peter  saith  to  them :  I  go  a  fishing.  They  say  to  him :  We  also 
come  with  thee.  And  they  went  forth,  and  entered  into  the  ship :  and  that 
night  they  caught  nothing. 

4.  But  when  the  morning  v/as  come,  Jesus  stood  on  the  shore :  yet  the  dis- 
ciples knew  not  that  it  was  Jesus. 

5.  Jesus  therefore  said  to  them:  Children,  have  you  any  meat?  They  an- 
swered him :  No. 

6.  He  saith  to  them  :  Cast  the  net  on  the  right  side  of  the  ship,  and  you  shall 
find.  They  cast  therefore;  and  now  they  were  not  able  to  draw  it,  for  the 
multitude  of  fishes. 

7.  That  disciple  therefore  whom  Jesus  loved,  said  to  Peter :  It  is  the  Lord. 
Simon  Peter,  when  he  heard  that  it  was  the  Lord,  girt  his  coat  about  him, 
(for  he  was  naked,)  and  cast  himself  into  the  sea. 

8.  But  the  other  disciples  came  in  the  ship,  (for  they  were  not  far  from  the 
land,  but  as  it  were  two  hundred  cubits,)  dragging  the  net  with  fishes. 

9.  As  soon  then  as  they  came  to  land,  they  saw  hot  coals  lying,  and  a  fish 
laid  thereon,  and  bread. 

10.  Jesus  saith  to  them :  Bring  hither  of  the  fishes  which  you  have  now 
caught. 

11.  Simon  Peter  went  up,  and  drew  the  net  to  land,  full  of  great  fishes,  one 
hundred  and  fifty-three.  And  although  there  were  so  many,  the  net  was  not 
broken. 

5.  Meat,  Trpoa(f)ayiov,  means  "  anything  to  eat." 

6.  To  draw  it;  i.e.,  to  draw  it  into  the  boat;  they  drew  it  after 
the  boat  (verse  8). 

7.  St.  John,  the  beloved  disciple,  was  first  to  recognize  with  his 
virgin  eyes  the  Saviour. 

For  he  was  naked;  i.e.,  he  was  without  the  outer  coat  usually 
worn  by  fishermen,  having  on  him  only  his  tunic,  or  under  gar- 
ments. Out  of  reverence  and  respect  for  our  Lord  he  put  round 
him  his  outer  coat. 

8.  Two  hundred  cubits;  i.e.,  about  300  feet.  A  cubit  was  about 
eighteen  inches. 

9.  Most  probably  both  the  fire  and  the  fish  on  this  occasion  were 
miraculously  provided  by  our  Lord  to  strengthen  the  faith  of  His 
disciples. 

10.  Our  Lord  wanted  the  disciples  to  see  the  number  of  fish  caught, 
in  order  that  they  might  recognize  the  magnitude  of  the  miracle. 

11.  Peter  was  aided  by  the  other  disciples  in  drawing  the  net  to 
land ;  but  he  was  the  leader  in  this  whole  affair  of  the  fish,  as  later 
he  was  the  head  and  leader  among  the  Apostles  in  catching  and 
saving  men.    Cf.  Acts  ii.  14-41 ;  x.  1-48. 


ST.  JOHN  XXI,  12-17  533 

12.  Jesus  saith  to  them  :  Come,  and  dine.  And  none  of  them  who  were  at 
meat,  durst  ask  him  :  Who  art  thou?  knowing  that  it  was  the  Lord. 

13.  And  Jesus  cometh  and  taketh  bread,  and  giveth  them,  and  fish  in  like 
manner. 

14.  This  is  now  the  third  time  that  Jesus  was  manifested  to  his  disciples, 
after  he  was  risen  from  the  dead. 

15.  When  therefore  they  had  dined,  Jesus  saith  to  Simon  Peter:  Simon, 
son  of  John,  lovest  thou  me  more  than  these?  He  saith  to  him:  Yea,  Lord, 
thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee.    He  saith  to  him  :  Feed  my  lambs. 

16.  He  saith  to  him  again:  Simon,  son  of  John,  lovest  thou  me?  He  saith 
to  him :  Yea,  Lord,  thou  knowest  that  I  love  thee.  He  saith  to  him  :  Feed  my 
lambs. 

17.  He  said  to  him  the  third  time:  Simon,  son  of  John,  lovest  thou  me? 
Peter  was  grieved,  because  he  had  said  to  him  the  third  time :  Lovest  thou 
mc?  And  he  said  to  him  :  Lord,  thou  knowest  all  things:  thou  knowest  that  I 
love  thee.    He  said  to  him :  Feed  my  sheep. 

12.  Come  and  dine,  apiarricraTe  \  i.e.,  come  and  breakfast,  ac- 
cording to  the  Greek. 

Our  Lord's  appearance  on  this  occasion  was  not  familiar  to  the 
disciples,  and  hence  they  feared  to  ask  Him  who  He  was,  although 
they  were  satisfied  from  the  miracle  just  performed  that  it  was  He. 

13.  It  is  probable  that  our  Lord  ate  with  the  disciples  on  this,  as 
He  did  on  another  occasion.    See  on  Luke  xxiv.  43. 

14.  The  third  time;  i.e.,  this  was  the  third  public  appearance  to 
His  disciples  as  a  body.  Patrizi  and  others  think  this  was  the  sev- 
enth appearance  of  our  Lord  mentioned  in  the  Gospels  after  the 
Resurrection.  Thus  the  eighth  appearance  would  be  that  on  the 
mountain  in  Galilee  (Matthew  xxviii.  16). 

15-17.  The  Vatican  Council  (Cap.  i.,  De  Apost.  Prim.  Instit.) 
has  declared  the  meaning  of  these  words ;  namely,  that  they  express 
the  bestowal  on  St.  Peter  of  the  primacy  of  honor  and  jurisdiction 
in  the  whole  Church.  No  Catholic,  therefore,  may  give  any  other 
sense  to  these  verses.  Several  points  in  them  are  to  be  observed : 
(a)  Christ,  being  about  to  bestow  on  Peter  the  commission  prom- 
ised in  Matthew  xvi.  17-19,  now  addresses  him  by  his  former  name. 
Simon,  as  if  to  call  his  attention  to  the  meaning  of  his  new  name, 
Peter,  which  means  rock;  (b)  it  is  clear  that  our  Lord  is  comparing 
Peter's  love  for  Himself  with  the  love  of  the  other  Apostles  for 
Himself;  (c)  in  the  first  two  verses  (15  and  16)  Christ  uses  a  less 
endearing  term  to  express  Peter's  love  for  Him  (ay awq.^ ,  diligis) , 
whereas   Peter   replies  by   a  more  tender  term   (0tXco,   amo)  ;   but 


534  ST.  JOHN  XXI,  18-25 

i8.  Amen,  amen  I  say  to  thee,  when  thou  wast  younger,  thou  didst  gird  thy- 
self, and  didst  walk  where  thou  wouldst.  But  when  thou  shalt  be  old,  thou 
shalt  stretch  forth  thy  hands,  and  another  shall  gird  thee,  and  lead  thee  whither 
thou  wouldst  not. 

19.  And  this  he  said,  signifying  by  what  death  he  should  glorify  God.  And 
when  he  had  said  this,  he  saith  to  him :  Follow  me. 

20.  Peter  turning  about,  saw  that  disciple  whom  Jesus  loved  following,  who 
also  leaned  on  his  breast  at  supper,  and  said :  Lord,  who  is  he  that  shall  betray 
thee? 

21.  Him  therefore  when  Peter  had  seen,  he  saith  to  Jesus :  Lord,  and  what 
shall  this  man  do? 

22.  Jesus  saith  to  him;  So  I  will  have  him  to  remain  till  I  come,  what  is  it 
to  thee?  follow  thou  me. 

22).  This  saying  therefore  went  abroad  among  the  brethren,  that  that  dis- 
ciple should  not  die.  And  Jesus  did  not  say  to  him :  He  should  not  die ;  but, 
So  I  will  have  him  to  remain  till  I  come,  what  is  it  to  thee? 

24.  This  is  that  disciple  who  giveth  testimony  of  these  things,  and  hath 
written  these  things ;  and  we  know  that  his  testimony  is  true. 

25.  But  there  are  also  many  other  things  which  Jesus  did ;  which,  if  they 
were  written  every  one,  the  world  itself,  I  think,  would  not  be  able  to  contain 
the  books  that  should  be  written. 

finally,  after  being  twice  assured  of  Peter's  tender  affection,  our 
Lord  adopts  the  same  word  as  Peter  ((^tXets,  amas)  ;  (d)  in  verse 
15  the  commission  is:  Feed  My  lambs  (fiocKe  to.  opvia  nov) ,  but  in 
the  two  following  verses  it  is:  Tend  (rule)  My  sheep  (irolnaive  ra 
Tpo^ard  fiov),  or  little  sheep  (xpojSaria  fxov),  according  to  some  MSS. 

18,  19.  The  prediction  of  our  Lord  in  regard  to  Peter  was  ful- 
filled in  the  latter's  crucifixion  at  Rome  a.d.  67.  Hence  St.  John  in 
writing  this  was  speaking  of  an  event  long  past. 

Follow  me,  according  to  the  Fathers  generally,  meant  that  Peter, 
through  his  death  on  the  cross,  should  follow  our  Lord  to  the 
Father  in  Heaven.     vSee  on  xiii.  36. 

20.  Who  also  leaned.    See  on  xiii.  23-25. 

21.  Peter  was  anxious  to  know  what  end  awaited  the  beloved 
disciple. 

22.  So  I  will  have,  etc.  The  sic  of  the  Vulgate  should  be  si 
{kdv),  and  hence  the  meaning  is:  "  If  I  will  have  him  remain  till  I 
come,"  etc.  Till  I  come  refers  to  the  second  coming  of  Christ  at 
the  end  of  the  world.    Our  Lord  here  reproves  Peter's  curiosity. 

23.  St.  John  notes  here  the  misunderstanding  of  our  Lord's 
words  in  his  regard  which  had  gone  abroad. 

24.  25.    These  two  verses  form  a  second  epilogue  to  this  Gospel. 


ST.  JOHN  XXI,  24,  25  535 

Their  authenticity,  however,  has  been  very  much  doubted,  even  by 
some  CathoHc  writers.  The  chief  reasons  for  this  are:  (a)  the 
writer  speaks  in  the  first  person  phiral  in  verse  24,  contrary  to  St. 
John's  custom;  (b)  verse  25  is  an  exaggeration. 

In  reply  we  may  say  that  the  first  reason  proves  nothing  against 
the  authorship  of  St.  John,  who,  at  the  end  of  his  Gospel,  appeals  to 
the  authority  of  his  contemporaries,  as  well  as  his  own,  in  confirma- 
tion of  the  veracity  of  what  he  has  written.  Cf.  i.  14;  i  Ep.  i.  5  ;  iii. 
12.  To  the  second  objection  we  may  say  that  there  is  no  reason  why 
St.  John  should  not  have  used  a  striking  figure  to  express  the  rich- 
ness of  the  revelation  made  by  Christ  to  the  world. 

Those  Catholic  authorities  who  question  the  authenticity  of  these 
two  verses  of  St.  John  think  they  were  written  by  the  priests  or 
Bishops  of  Asia  Minor,  at  whose  request  John  wrote  his  Gospel. 
The  inspiration  of  the  verses  remains. 


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PRINCIPAL    COMMENTARIES    ON 
THE    GOSPELS 

I.    GREEK 

Origen,   Comm.   on  St.  Matt.    (c.   244)  ;  Homilies  on  St.   Luke 

(c.  233)  ;  Comm.  on  St.  John  (c.  238). 
Eusebius  of  Caesarea  (f  c.  340),  Comm.  on  St.  Luke. 
♦St.  Chrysostom,  po  Homilies  on  St.  Matt.  (c.  390)  ;  88  Horn,  on 

St.  John  (c.  389). 
St.  Cyril  of  Alex.,  Comm.  on  St.  John  (c.  430). 
Theophylact  (f  c.  1090),  Comm.  on  4  Gospels.    An  edition  in  Greek 

and  Latin  published  at  Venice  1 754-1 763. 
Euthymius  (f  c.  11 18),  Comm.  on  the  Gospels.    Latin  translation, 

Louvain,  1544. 

IL    LATIN 
(0)  On  The  Four  Gospels 

*St.  Augustine,  De  Consensu  Evang.  1.  4  (c.  400). 

St.  Gregory  the  Great,  40  Horn,  in  Evangelia  (c.  591). 

Walafrid  Strobo,  Glossa  ordin.  (c.  840).  , 

Albert  the  Great  (f  1280). 
*St.  Thomas  Aquinas  (f   1274),  Catena  Aiirea. 

Nicholas  de  Gorham  (f  1295),  Postillae  in  Evangelia. 

Cajetan,    In    Evangelia   Matt.,    Marci,    Lucae,    Joannis    (Venice, 

1530)- 
Jansenius   of   Ghent    (f  1576),   Comm.   in   Concordiam   et  totam 

Historiam  Evang. 
*Maldonatus,  Comm.  in  4  Evangelia  (Pont-a-Mousson,  1 596-1 597). 
Salmeron,  Comm.  in  Evangelicam  Hist.  (Madrid,  1598). 
Jansenius  of  Ypres  (f  1638),  Comm.  in  4  Evangelia. 
♦Cornelius  a  Lapide,  Comm.  in  4  Evangelia  (Antwerp,  1712). 

Liagre,  Comm.  in  libros  hist.  N.  T.  (Tournai,  1883 ). 

Knabenbauer,  Comm.  in  Ev.  S.  Matt.,  S.  Marci.  S.  Lncae,  S.  Joan. 

(Paris,  1892 ). 

Ceulemans,  In  Ev.  seed.  Matt.  (Malines,  1900)  ;  seed.  Marciim  et 
Lncam  (1899);  seed.  Joannem  (1901). 


PRINCIPAL    COMMENTARIES    ON   THE   GOSPELS     547 

(b)  On  St.  Matthew 

St.  Hilary,  Comm.  in  Ev.  Matt.  (c.  355). 
*St.  Jerome,  Comm.  in  Ev.  S.  Matt.  (398). 
*St.  Thomas  Aquinas  (f  1274),  Comm.  in  Ev.  Matt. 

Capponi  (Venice,  1602). 

Van  Steenkiste,  Ev.  seed.  Matt.  (Paris,  1880-1882). 

Van  Oncebal,  In  Matt.  (Ghent,  1900). 

Niglutsch,  Brevis  comm.  in  Ev.  S.  Matt.  (1909). 

(c)  On  St.  Mark 
St.  Bede(t735). 

*Patrizi,  In  Marcum  Comm.  (Rome,  1862). 

(d)  On  St.  Luke 

St.  Ambrose,  Exp.  Ev.  seed.  Lueam  (c.  388). 

St.  Bede(t735)• 
St.  Bonaventure  (f  1274),  Comm.  in  Ev.  S.  Luc. 
♦Toletus,  Comm.  in   /«  XII  capita  I.  C.  D.  N.  Ev.  seed.  Lueam 
(Rome,  1600). 

(e)  On  St.  John 

*St.  Augustine,  hi  Joannis  Evang.  (c.  416). 

Alcuin  (t  804). 
*St.  Thomas  Aquinas  (f  1274). 

St.  Bonaventure  (f  1274). 
*Toletus,  In  Joannis  Ev.  (Cologne,  1589). 

Capponi  (Venice,  1604). 
*Patrizi,  In  Joan.  Comm.  (Rome,  1857). 
*Corluy,  Comm.  in  Ev.  S.  Joan.  (Ghent,  1889). 

III.    FRENCH 

Calmet  (f  1757),  Comm.  litt.  sur  tons  Ics  livrcs  de  I'Anc.  et  du 
Nouv.  Test.  (Paris,  1 707-1 716).  Latin  transl.  by  Mansi 
(Lucca,  1 730- 1 738). 

iMllion,  La  Sainte  Bible  (Paris,  1878 ). 

Rose,  Evangile  selon  S.  Math.  (Paris,  1906);  S.  Marc  (Paris, 
1904)  ;  5".  Luc  (Paris,  1904). 

*Thiriet,  L' Evangile  Mcditc  avec  les  Peres  (Paris,  1905). 
Lagrange,  5".  Marc  (Paris,  1912J. 


INDEX   OF   SUBJECTS 


Abba,  251. 
Abel,  151. 
Abia,  266. 
Abiathar,  205. 
Abilene,  11,  94,  290. 
Abimelech,  205. 
Abiud,  7. 

Abomination    of   desola- 
tion, 153. 
Abraham,  5,  20,  468. 
Abraham's  bosom,  358. 
Adoration,  25,  473. 
Adultery,  33.  35,  123.  462, 

463- 
Age,  22,  292, 469. 
Agony,  175. 
Ain-Karim,  273. 
a   Lapide,  444,   477.  494, 

530. 
Alms,  38,  330. 
Aloes,  525. 
Alpheus,  83,  93. 
Amen,  418. 
Aminadab,  6. 
Ancients,    99,     108.    136, 

222. 
Andrew,  St.,  26,  52,  299, 

415,  416. 

Angel,  24,  25,  -2,  117,  143, 
189,  190,  257,  267,  270, 
281,  349.  386.  392,  527. 

Anger,  33. 

Anise,  148. 

Anna.  286. 

Annas,  177,  290,  517,  518. 

Anointing,  218,  308. 

Apocryphal,  265. 

Apostle,  26,  2"!,  63,  208, 
299,  322,  345.  383,  384, 

416,  437,  509,  514.  515, 
516,  529. 

Appearances,  191,  192, 
257,  258,  259,  397.  528. 
530,  531,  533- 

Archelaus,  16, 94,  290. 

Arimathea,  187. 


Ascension,  319,  398,  427, 

455- 
Assumption,  319. 
Assyrians,    26,    64,    116, 

217. 
Augustine,  St.,  11,  44,  57, 

120,  152,  323,  335,  340, 

358,  359,  365.  395.  42S. 

464,  465,  474,  480,  489, 

493.  494,  499.  501. 
Augustus,  279. 
Auranitis,  94. 
Authenticity,     257,     258, 

386,  389,  393,  439,  462, 

531,  535- 
Avarice,  148.  149. 
Azymes,  167. 

Babylon.  7. 

Baptism.   18,  20,  21,   163, 

199,  238,  259,  zz-j,  413, 

42s.  426,  525. 
Barabbas,  170,  182,  520. 
Barachias,  150. 
Barrels,  354. 
Bartholomew,    302.      See 

Nathanael. 
Bartimeus,  132. 
Basket,  103. 
Batanea,  94. 
Beatitudes,  29,  30,  303. 
Bed,  440. 
Bede,  St.,  274. 
Beelzebub,  68. 
Beginning,  465. 
Bethabara,  414,  482. 
Bethany.    133.    135,    165, 

188,  312.  i7T„  398.  414, 

481,  526. 
Bethlehem.  12,  13,  14.  is. 

16,  280. 
Bethphage,  133,  373. 
Bethsaida  Julias.  96,   97, 

219,  220. 
Bethsaida  of  Galilee,  97, 

105,  220,  416.  439. 


Bier,  306. 

Billuart,  478. 

Binding  and  loosing,  107, 

118. 
Bishops,  322,  529. 
Blasphemy,  57,  80,  81. 
Blindness,    spiritual,    86, 

87,  27i,  473- 
Blood,  60,  215. 
Boanerges,  208. 
Bottles,  60. 

Brethren,  89,  93,  191,  457- 
Bridegroom,  430. 
Burial.  167. 

Caesarea,  105. 

Caesarea     Philippi.     105, 

109,  317. 
Cainan,  293. 
Caiphas,    177,    290,  485, 

518. 
Cajetan,  120. 
Calf,  352. 
Called,  130,  141. 
Calmet,  395. 
Calvary,    183,    523,    526. 

See  Golgotha. 
Camel,  125. 
Cana,  418. 
Canaan,  102. 
Canticle,  274,  277,  284. 
Capharnaum,    26,  51,  56, 

61,  74,  84,  91.  93,  96,  97. 

98.  99,  114,  115,  204,  216. 
Catechize,  266. 
Cedrenus,  17. 
Cedron,  175,  516. 
Census,  279. 
Centurion,  51,  186. 
Cephas,  106,  416. 
Chaldea,  11,  14. 
Chalice,  131,  175.382. 
Cham.  102. 
Charity,  36,  7,y,  118,  132. 

147,  244,  320,  497,  505. 
Chief  priests.  13. 


552 


INDEX  OF  SUBJECTS 


Children,  124. 
Christ,  7, 106, 178. 
Christs,  false,  152. 
Chosen,  130, 141. 
Chrysostom,    St.,    9,    11, 

44,  444,  455,  466,  489, 

499,  501,  515.  527. 
Church,  118,323,477,515- 
Circumcision,    276,    283, 

450. 
Cleopatra,  94. 
Cleophas,  83, 93.  395- 
Cloth,  60. 
Cloud,  no. 
Coat,  523. 
Cock  crow.  174,  384,  386. 

498. 
Coming   of    Christ,   380. 

See     End     of    world; 

Judgment. 
Commandment,    31,    125. 

144,  324,  501. 
Common,  222. 
Conception,  10. 
Confession,  19. 
Continency,  124. 
Corban,  100,  223. 
Corbona,  181. 
Corluy,  495. 
Comely,  383. 
Correction,  117. 
Conceit,  67. 
Counsels,  125. 
Courses,  266. 
Covetousness,  334,  357. 
Cross,  69. 

Crucifixion,  184,  254. 
Cubit,  43,  532. 
Cumin,  148. 
Custom  house,  58. 
Cyril,  St.,  340. 
Cyrinus,  279. 


Dalmanutha,  104,  227. 
Dancing,  352. 
Date,  11,289,  436. 
David,  5,  7,  9,  76. 
Dead  Sea,  17.  22,  96. 
Debtor,  120. 
Decapolis,  28,  214. 
Dedication,  319,  343,  439, 

478. 
Defilement,  224,  348,  486. 
Demoniac,  27,  52,  53,  55. 


62,    79,    112.    200,    201, 

207,  213,  214.  233,  314. 
Denarius,    142,   249,    310, 

326,  349-  371.  447- 
Desert,    17.    22,   96,    199, 

219. 
Desire,  382. 
Detachment,  65. 
Devil,  23,  24,  25,  63,  80, 

83,  107,  120,  323.  459- 
Didrachma,  114. 
Didymus,  482. 
Disciple,  74,  321,  323,  346, 

457- 

Dispersion,  461. 

Divinity  of  Christ.  21,  23, 
24.  57,  75,  98,  106,  124, 
145,  178,  214,  329,  394, 
407,  417,  423,  424,  431, 
441,  442,  444,  456,  469, 
477,  479,  480,  484.  486, 
491,  495,  498.  499,  500, 
501,  502,  507,  512.  513, 
516,  517,  530. 

Division,  337. 

Divorce,  34,  35,  121. 

Doctors  of  the  Law.  13, 
144. 

Door,  47S. 

Dust,  66. 

Eagles,  365. 

Earthquake,  189. 

Edersheim,  32. 

Egypt,  12,  14,  15,  16. 

Elder,  13,  27. 

Elect,  46,  342,  366. 

Eleven,  396. 

Eliachim,  8. 

Elias,    23.    73,    104,    106, 

no.  III.  112.  231,  268, 

412. 
Elizabeth,  17,266. 
Embalming,  391. 
Emmaus,    259.    393,    394, 

395- 
End  of  world,   152,   153, 

154,  155,  156,  157,  158, 
37^<  379-  See  Coming 
of  Christ;  Judgment. 

Ennon,  429. 

Ephraim,  16. 

Ephrem.  486. 

Essenes,  19. 

Estha,  9. 


Eternity,  469. 

Eucharist,   172,  382,  383, 

395,  449,  455.  481,  493, 

496,  525- 
Evening,  96. 
Exorcism,  319. 
External  sins,  34. 
Extreme  Unction,  218. 

Faith,  51,  57,  61,  69,  98, 
113,  129,  215,  232,  259, 
311,  363,  369,  428,  452, 
453,  456,  498,  513- 

Farthing,  33,  68,  333. 

Fasting,  22,  41,  59,  113. 

Father,  Eternal,  21. 

Fear,  68. 

Fidelity,  355. 

Fig-tree,  135,  240,  339. 

Finding  in  Temple,  288. 

Fire,  337- 

First,  130. 

Flight  into  Egypt,  12,  14. 

Flock,  335. 

Forgiveness,  33,  57,  81, 
120,  311,  390. 

Fornication,  467. 

Fouard,  121,  458. 

Franzelin,  477. 

Fraud,  149. 

Fringes,  146. 

Funeral,  61. 

Furlong,  448.  483. 

Gabriel,  267. 

Gadara,  54. 

Galileans,  339. 

Galilee,  11,  20,  25,  26,  70, 

94,    99,    109,    113,    121, 

174,  200,  287,  290,  294, 

298,  312.  319,  392.  393, 

416,  431,  432. 
Galilee,     Sea     of.      See 

Genesareth,    Lake    of; 

Tiberias,  Sea  of. 
Gabbatha,  522. 
Gall,  T84. 

Garizim,  Mt.,  64,  434. 
Gate,  341. 
Gaulanitis,  94. 
Gehenna,  34.    See  Hell. 
Genealogy,  58,  293. 
Generation,  73,   156,  227, 

229. 
Genesar,  98,  99, 102. 


INDEX  OF  SUBJECTS 


553 


Genesareth,  98. 
Genesareth.Lake  of.    See 

Lake  of  Genesareth. 
Gentiles,    102,    131,    224, 

285,  346.  349.  378,  379, 

488. 
Gerasa,  54. 
Gerasens,  54.  213. 
Gergesa,  54,  213. 
Gethsemani,  174,  175. 
Gifts,  14,  50,  148. 
Glorified    body,  396,  527. 
Golgotha,  183.     See  Cal- 

vary. 
Gomorrah,  66. 
Good,  124. 
Good  Shepherd,  474,  475, 

476,  477- 
Gospel,  198, 229. 
Grace,  270,  433,  452,  504. 
Grave,  482,  484. 
Gregory,  St.,  530. 
Groan,  484. 
Groat,  349. 
Guards,  192. 
Guest,  311. 

Hallel,  174. 

Ha-Raniathaim,  391. 

Harvest,  62. 

Heathens,  118. 

Heaven,  91,  164,  498,  499. 

Hebron,  273. 

Heli,  8,  9. 

Hell,   20,  34,    52,   74,   91, 

164,  234,  358,  359. 
Hermon,  Mt,  109. 
Herod  Antipas,  11,  25,  94, 

95,    106,    142,    199,  218, 

219.  290,  342,  388,  389. 
Herod  Agrippa,  the  Elder, 

n,  131.153. 
Herod    Agrippa,    the 

Younger,  11,  67,  105. 
Herod  Philip,  the  Elder, 

25.  71.  95.  199- 
Herod      Philip,      the 

Younger,  94,  95,  290. 
Herod  the  Great,  11,  13, 

14,    IS,    16,    17,   71,  94, 

105,  134,  142,  151. 
Herodians,  142.  206. 
Herodias,  71,  95. 
Kigh-priest.    i  ^    50,   290, 

485. 


Hilary,  St.,  382. 
Hillel,  34,  99, 121,222. 
Hinnom,  34. 
Holy   Ghost,    10,   21.   22, 

272,  462,  501,  505,  506, 

508,  509,  529. 
Horns  of  Hattin.  29,  208. 
Hosanna,  134. 
Hospitality,  344. 
Hour,  185,  248,  255.  4 '5. 

420,  432. 
House,  14. 
House  tops,  68. 
Humanity  of  Christ,  489. 
Humility,    75,    115,     124, 

132,  147,  344,  361,  493. 
Husks,  350. 
Hypocrites,    38,    45,    105, 

338.  341- 

Idumea,  16,  94,  207. 
Incarnation,  10,  409,  410. 
Incense,  267. 
Indefectibility,  193. 
Infallibility,  146,  384. 
Inheritance,  2<3i- 
Innocents,  11,  15,  16, 
Inspiration.  138,  301,  531, 

535- 
Intention,  42.  330. 
Internal  sins,  34. 
Irenaeus,  St.,  469. 
Isaac,  5. 
Ituraea,  94, 95,  105,  290. 

Jacob,  9. 

Jaffa  (Joppa),  105. 

Jairus,  60,  215. 

James    the    Greater.    St., 

61,    64,    109,    131,    153, 

17s,  238,  299,  320,  416. 
James  the   Less,   St..  64. 

83,  93,  208. 
Jansenius,  395. 
Jechonias.  7. 
Jeremias,  106. 
Jericho,     132.     133.    325. 

326. 
Jeroboam.  16. 
Jerome,  St.,  9,  17,  29,  43, 

72,   116,   152,   219,   393, 

395,  422. 
Jerusalem,  18.  24,  27,  99, 

i-'i,  130,  132.   133.   141. 


142,  150,   [52,  153,  154, 

166,  171,  288,  319,  325, 
326,  327,  339,  343,  362, 
372,  373,  379,  391,  394, 
398,  445- 

Jesse,  6. 

Jesus,  10,  271. 

Jews,  224.  349,  379. 

Joachim,  St.,  8. 

Joakim,  7. 

Joanna,  312. 

Joas,  150. 

John  the  Baptist,  St.,  17, 
18,  21,  25,  26.  59,  70,  71, 
72,  72,  94.  05,  96.  106. 
112,  136,  199,  218,  219. 
231,  268,  273,  275,  276, 
290,  292,  345,  346,  408, 
411.  412,  413,  414,  415. 
429,  430,  444,  480. 

John  the  Evangelist,  St., 
26,  61,  109,  131,  1153. 
175,  190,  191,  233,  238, 
299,  320,  393,  410,  416, 
496,  518,  524,  527.  532, 
534,  535- 

Joiada,  150. 

Jonas,  82. 

Joram,  6. 

Jordan,  17,  26.  28,  121. 
130,  236. 

Josias,  7. 

Joseph,  St.,  8,  9,  12,  14, 
16,  93,  270,  280,  285. 
288.  289,  417,  524. 

Joseph  of  Alpheus,  83, 93. 

Joseph     of     Arimathea, 

187,391- 
Josephus,   n,   16,   19,  54, 

71,  153.  220,  240.  280. 
Josue.  10.  104. 
Juda.  13.  14,  15. 
Judas    Iscariot.    64,    166, 

167,  172.  173,  176,  181. 
208,  382.  456,  457.  487, 
494.  495.  496,  514. 

Judas  of  Galilee,  152.  359, 

475- 
Jude.  St.,  64,  83.  93. 
Judea,  II,  13,  16,  17,  18. 

25,94,  121,236,298,391, 

322,  431,  432. 
Judge,  333. 
Judgment.  ^2,  44,  48,  126. 

140.   159.   163.  164.  332, 


554 


INDEX  OF  SUBJECTS 


364,  379,  418,  442,  464, 
473,  489,  491,  492,  499- 

Julias  Africanus,  8. 

Just,  266. 

Justice,  21,  32,  38. 

Jutta,  273, 

Kepler,  13. 
Kersa,  54. 
King,  520. 
Kingdom,  108,  131. 
Kingdom  of  God,  17,  44, 

139,  244,  363. 
Kingdom  of  Heaven,  17, 

65,  n,  jz.  90,  92,  115, 

119,  124,  128,  140. 
Knowledge     of      Christ, 

287,  424,  458,  459,  517. 

Lamentation,  343. 
Lamb  of  God,  414. 
Lamps,  336. 
Lake  of   Genesareth,  74, 

84,    114,   204,  220.   298, 

446. 
Last,  130. 
Law,  21,  31,    32.   34,  46, 

144,  356. 
Lazarus,  61,  166,  480,  481, 

482,  483,  484,  48s,  486. 
Leaven,  90,  105. 
Le  Camus,  9,  29,  lOO.  109, 

123,  175,  187,  299,  308, 

484,  492,  502. 
Legion,  214. 
Leo  the  Great,  St.,  12. 
Lepers,  49,  202,  299,  362. 
Levi,  58,  204. 
Levirate  law,  7,  8, 143. 
Levite,  325. 

Liberty  of  Christ,  477. 
Liby-Phoenicia,  102. 
Light,  31,408,409. 
Limbo,  358. 
Lithostrotos,  522. 
Little  ones,  70,  75. 
Locusts,  18,  199. 
Loins,  335. 

Lord's  prayer,  40,  327. 
Lysanias,  290. 

Machabees,  19. 
Machaerus,  71,  96,  219. 
MacRory,   476,   477,   489, 
496. 


Madness,  208. 

Magdala,  104,  186,  312. 

Magdalen,  St.  Mary,  104, 
133.  135,  166,  186,  187, 
188,  190,  191,  257,  309, 
311,  312,  326,  327,  396, 
487,  526,  527,  528. 

Magedan,  104,  227. 

Magi,  II,  12,  13,  14,  15, 
287. 

Malachy,  106,  iii,  112. 

Malchus,  176. 

Maldonatus,  115,  299,  319, 
347,  418,  434,  435,  444, 
456,  477,  489.  494,  501, 
505.  529. 

Mammon,  42.  355. 

Manger,  281. 

Manna,  451. 

Mariamne,  95. 

Mark,  171,  252. 

Marriage,  122,  236. 

Martha,  133,  135,  166,  326. 

zv^  483. 

Mary,  Blessed  Virgin,  9, 
83,  84,  93,  270,  280,  285, 
286,  287,  288.  289,  329, 
419,  420.  523,  524. 

Mary  of  Alpheus,  83,  93, 
186,  187,  188. 

Master,  298,  362. 

Mathan,  9,  293. 

Matthew,  58,  64,  204. 

Measure,  421. 

Mediterranean,  27. 

Melchi,  9. 

Mercy,  58,  ~y,  120,  164, 
291. 

Merit,  245. 

Messiah,  53,  61,  71,  77, 
98,  106,  III,  178,  416, 
434,  435,  478. 

Mill  stone,  116. 

Minstrels,  61. 

Mint,  148. 

Miracles,  2-j,  50,  52.  54, 
55,  57,  60,  61,  62,  71,  78, 
82,  96,  97,  103,  no,  1X2, 
132,  201,  202,  213,  214, 
217,  220,  225,  226,  228, 
299,  306,  314,  317.  340, 
362,  369,  421,  422,  424, 
438,  440,  444.  448,  470. 
480,  485,  500.  517,  532, 
533- 


Miracles,  gifts  of,  65,  323. 
Mite,  245. 
Mna,  371. 
Moloch,  34. 
Mommsen,  280. 
Moses,  19, 23,  no. 
Mountain,  24,  113. 
Mulberry  tree,  361. 
Murder,  150. 
Murderer,  467. 
Mustard  seed,  89,  113. 
Myrrh,  184,  525. 

Naasson,  6. 

Naim,  305,  308. 

Nathan,  7,  9. 

Nathanael.  302,  416,  417. 

Nativity,  281. 

Nazareth,  12,  16,  17,  20, 
25,  56,  78,  93,  109,  216, 
217,  288,  296,  297,  417. 

Nazarite,  16. 

Nephthalim,  26. 

Neri,  7. 

Nicodemus,  425,  462. 

Number  of  saved,  46. 

Oaths,  35,  36,  148. 

Obedience,  494. 

Olivet,  Mt,  133,  152,  161, 

165,  175,  246,  385,  398. 

463. 
Origen,  12,  17,328. 
Original  sin,  268.  274. 
Ozias,  6. 

Palm  Sunday,  133,  487. 
Parables,  83,  85,  86,  loi, 

108,  210,  224,  242,  334, 

344,  361. 
Parable    of    the    Barren 

Fig-tree,  339. 

of  the  Candle,  31. 

of    the    Cloth    and 

Bottles,  60. 

of  the  Cockle,  88. 

of  the  Draw  net,  92. 

of  the  Fig-tree,  156. 

of   the   Friend  and 

the  Loaves,  328. 

of    the    Good    Sa- 
maritan, 325. 

of  the    Great   Sup- 
per, 345- 


INDEX  OF  SUBJECTS 


555 


Parable    of    the    Hidden 

Treasure,  91. 
of  the  Householder, 

248. 

of    the    House    on 

the    Sand  and   on    the 
Rock,  48. 

— —  of  the  Laborers   in 
the  Vineyard,  127. 

of  the  Leaven,  90. 

of    the    Lost    Coin, 

349- 

of  the  Lost  Sheep, 

348. 

of     the      Marriage 

Feast,  140. 

of      the      Mustard 

Seed,  89. 

of  the  Pearl,  92. 

of  the  Pounds,  161, 

370. 

of  the  Pharisee  and 

the  Publican,  366. 

of      the      Prodigal 

Son,  349. 

of    the    Rich    Fool, 

334- 

of    the    Rich    man 

and  Lazarus,  357. 

of  the  Seed  Grow- 
ing Secretly,  211. 

of      the      Servants 

Watching,  335. 

of  the  Sower,  85. 

of      the      Talents, 

161. 

of  the  Ten  Virgins, 

159. 

of  the  Tower,  347. 

of  the   Two   Debt- 
ors, 310. 

of  the   Two    Serv- 
ants, 158. 

of   the    Two    Sons, 

of  the  Unjust  Judge, 

366. 

of       the       Unjust 

Steward,  353. 

of   the   Unmerciful 

Servant,  119. 

of  the  Unprofitable 

Servants,  361. 

of  the  Vineyard  and 

the  Husbandmen,  375. 


Parable  of  the  Wicked 
Husbandmen,  137. 

of  the  Wise  Stew- 
ard, 336. 

Paraclete.  500. 

Paradise,  358. 

Parasceve,  391,  522. 

Parents,  100. 

Pasch,  99,  165,  171,  182, 
187,  254,  287,  341,  382, 
422,  424,  439,  446.  447, 
486,  496. 

Passion,  no,  113,  121, 
131,  176,  230,  238,  318, 
364,  38s,  476,  490.  512. 

515- 
Patience,  378. 
Patrizi,  191,  477,  533. 
Peace,  502. 
Penance,  218,  529. 
Penny,  120,  128,  142,  220, 

249,  310,  326,  447. 
Pentecost,   166,   287.  422, 

439,  446. 
Peraea,    11.    26.    94,    95. 

121,   130,  207,  319,  322, 

341,  342,  346,  480. 
Perpetuity,  193. 
Persecution,  67,  153,  237, 

507- 

Persia,  11. 

Peter,  St.,  26,  52,  61,  63, 

98,    106,    109,  114,  118, 

127,  153,  174,  176,  179. 

190,  191,  201,  228,  257, 

299,  384,  393.  395,  396, 

416.  456,  493.  497,  517, 

518,  519,  527.  532,  533, 
534- 

Phadaia,  7. 

Phares,  6. 

Pharisee,   19.   25,  32,   59, 

73,  78,  99,  145,  307.  342, 

350,  352. 
Philadelphia,  28. 
Philip,  St.,  416.  499. 
Phoenicia.  102. 
Phylacteries,  146. 
Pilate,  Pontius,  131,  181, 

254.  290,  339,  388.  389, 

519,  520,  521,  522,  525. 
Pius  VL,  428. 

Pound,  371. 
Poverty,  126.  335. 
Power,  193. 


Prayer.  39,  45,  46,  103, 
113,  118,  147,  176,  202. 
221,  241,  248,  317,  327, 
365,  366,  472,  505,  514. 

Preaching,  26,  62,  260. 

Predestination,  163,  324, 

Presentation,  12,284. 

Pride.  323. 

Priests,  19.  136,  322,  362, 

539- 
Primacy,  63,  106,  118.  533. 
Prince  of  Peace,  69. 
Probatica,  439. 
Profanation,  45. 
Prophecies,    71.    72,    78, 

79,  87,  90,  100,  134,  174, 

177,  181,   184,  198,  223, 

231,  271,  278,  295.  296. 

310,  373,  375,  385,  395. 

397,  398,  412.  413,  444. 

476,  488,  490,  491. 

of  Christ,  384,  385, 

427,  445,  466,  488,  490, 
495,  498,  505,  507,  509, 
514,  524,  525- 

Prophets,  47,  70,  72,  144, 
149,  242,  343,  434,  437, 
460,  462,  485. 

false,  153. 

Proselyte,  148. 
Providence,  43,  68,  378. 
Publicans,    37,    118,    291, 

350. 
Punishment,  48,  150.  163, 

337,  504- 
Purgatory,  33.  81. 
Purification,  283. 
Purim,  439. 

Quarters,  354. 

Rabbi,  27,   146,  298,  415, 

528. 
Raca,  33. 
Rachael,  16. 
Rama,  15. 
Regeneration,     126,    425, 

426. 
Relics,  98. 
Repentance,  20,  117,  120. 

338,  348,  349,  351- 
Resurrection,  61,  82,  131, 

143,  144,  186,  189,  306, 
360,  397,  423.  442,  443. 
483,  484.  485.  527- 


556 


INDEX  OF  SUBJECTS 


Reviviscence,  120. 

Sermon    on    the    Plain, 

Tabernacles,  1 10, 166, 287, 

Reward,    237,    324. 

356, 

38,  44,  49,  302. 

319.  326,  327,  422, 

439, 

371. 

Shammai,    34,    99, 

121, 

457,  458. 

Reza,  7. 

222. 

Talents,  119, 161. 

Riches,  124.  125,  359 

Sheep,  6s,  67,  117,  474 

Tax,  114. 

Ring,  SSI- 

Shekel,  144. 

Tell-Hum.  96. 

Robe,  351. 

Shepherd,  281. 

Temple,  24,   64,  77, 

114. 

Room,  Upper,  250. 

Sichar,  432. 

134,  150,  151,  152, 

178, 

Ruler,  340,  438. 

Sidon,     102,      103, 

207, 

240,  245,  267,  286, 

287. 

Ruth,  6. 

224. 
Sign,  82,  156,  260. 

320,  366,  367,  7,77, 
380,  398,  423,  424- 

378. 

Saba,  83. 

Siloe,  339,  470. 

Temptation,  22,   23, 

1-5, 

Sabbath,  52,  76,  78, 

153, 

Silver,  167. 

244,  324- 

188,  206,  256,  295, 

301, 

Simeon,  284. 

Tertullian,  279,  497,  498. 

341,  343.  392.  440, 

460, 

Simon,  52,  63,  106. 

Testament,  New,  173 

471. 

the    Cananean, 

64, 

Thabor,     Mt.,     16, 

101). 

Sackcloth,  74. 

83,  93,  208. 

192. 

Sacrifice,  58,  7T. 

the    Cyrenean, 

183, 

Thaddeus,  St.,  64. 

Sadducees,    19,   104, 

143, 

254- 

Thamar,  6. 

359. 

the  Leper,  166, 

326, 

Theft,  149. 

Sadoc,  19. 

487. 

Theophilus,  266. 

Sadoc  the  Pharisee, 

475. 

Magus,  152. 

Theophylact,  326. 

Saints,    Communion 

of, 

the  Pharisee,  307. 

Theudas,  152,  475. 

349- 

Sin,  57,  268,  274,  414. 

Thieves,  184,  185. 

Salathiel,  7,  9,  293. 

Sinners,  58. 

Thomas  Aquinas,  St 

,  34. 

Salome,  95,  131, 187. 

Slavery.  467. 

46,  75.  81,  93,  116, 

117. 

Salt,  30,  235,  347- 

Sodom,  66. 

163,  324,  342,  348, 

359, 

Salvation,  285. 

Soldier.  292,  517. 

412,  499,  SOI,  506. 

Samaria,  11,  16,  94. 

319. 

Son  of  Abraham.  5. 

Thomas,  St.,  259,  482 

529. 

320,  322,  432. 

of  David,  5.  61 

79. 

530. 

Samaritans,  64,  362, 

432, 

134. 

Thorns,   Crown    of. 

183. 

433,  434.  435,  468. 

of  God,  15,  23, 

98, 

521. 

Sanhedrim,  13,  32,99 

108. 

no,  178,  214,  415, 

472, 

Tiberias,  29,  219. 

136,  166,  177,  412. 

522. 

,  Sea  of,  26,  446 

Sarephta,  95. 

of  Man.  53,  77 

81, 

Tiberius,  289. 

Saturninus,  279. 

106,  108,  231,  418. 

Tithes,  148. 

Scandal,  34,  94,  114, 

116, 

Spikenard,  487. 

Titus,  141, 153- 

153,  174- 

Stanley,  340. 

Toletus,  522,  530. 

Scourging,  183,  254, 

389, 

Star,  13, 15. 

Tombs,  306. 

422,  521. 

Stater,  114. 

Tonzard,  358. 

Scribes,  13,  Z2,  'JZ,  99 

100, 

Stone,  139,  375- 

Trachonitis,     11,    94, 

95. 

144,149,331. 

Storm,  212. 

290. 

Scriptures,  444. 

Strife,  383. 

Tradition,  99. 

Scythopolis,  28. 

Suarez,  359,  477. 

Traffickers,  135,  374. 

42.i, 

Sea,  Dead.  17. 

Sunam,  95. 

423- 

of    Galilee,   26 

56, 

Superscription,  184. 

Transfiguration.  109, 

115. 

96,  103,  204. 

Supper.  Last.  t68.  492 

121,  230. 

of     Tiberias. 

See 

Susanna,  312. 

Transubstantiation, 

17.^ 

Sea  of  Galilee. 

Sword,  385. 

Treasure,  42. 

Sects,  19. 

Swine,  55. 

Treasury,  245,  465. 

Self-denial,  108. 

Sycamore,  369. 

Trench,  120, 159, 334. 

Sepulchres,  55,   149, 

187, 

Synagogue,  27,   135, 

200, 

Trent,    Council    of. 

428, 

188,  257. 

340. 

463,  529,  531- 

Sermon  on  the  Mount,  28. 

Syria,  27. 

Trials,  182.  387. 

38,  49-  76. 

Syro- Phoenician,  102 

Tribute,  142. 

INDEX  OF  SUBJECTS 


557 


Truth,  520. 

Tyre,  102, 103,  207,  224. 

Ulpianus,  280. 

Varus,  280. 

Vatican,  Council  of,  533. 

Veil,  186. 

Vine,  503. 

Vinegar,  185. 

Vineyard, 340. 

Virginal  Birth,  g,  10,  271. 

Virginity,  270. 

Vision  of  God,  412. 

Vocation,  321,  504. 


War,  133. 

Washing  of  feet,  493. 

Watches  of  the  night,  97, 

336,  448. 
Watchfulness,     158,    t6o, 

248,  380. 
Waterpots,  421. 
Weddings,  59,  159,  336. 
Well,  Jacob's,  432. 
Wept,  373,  484. 
Westcott,  455. 
Wheat  and  chaff,  20. 
Wine,  184. 
Wisdom,  74,  287. 
Wise  man,  149. 
Woes,  147,  148,  149,  323. 


Woman,  419.  420,  524. 
Women,  392,  436. 
Wood,  390. 
Word,  273,  406. 
Works,  good,  428. 
Worship,  435. 

Yoke,  75. 

Zabulon,  26. 
Zacheus,  369. 
Zacharias,  150. 
Zachary,  266,  269. 
Zara,  6. 
Zebedee,  131. 
Zorobabel,  7, 9,  293. 
Zumt,  280. 


Date  Due 

S  »     '40 

^a  1  a  ^t 

Mr.     C)  a      '^k\ 

Ap.^?^     %\ 

1 

*fe  1  ft  '41 

Jp30  '41 

Jlfil  ^ 

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0  14  '45! 

NO  J,  b'5^'. 

_ 

^ 

J. 


